TRADITION: Miniature Footballs to Newborns

If you mention to stranger that you are from Massillon, they often connect our town to football. The second question you receive is: “Isn’t that the place where they present a miniature football to newborns?”

The practice of presenting miniature footballs to baby boys started in 1958 at what was then Massillon Hospital. There is however a short cut from the film “Touchdown Town” that was released in 1953. It shows a newborn arriving home with his parents. Mom is proudly carrying the young Tiger and dad is following with a full sized football that was presented to the family by the Football Booster Club.

In recent years this practice has taken a different path. In a cost cutting move the Affinity Medical Center in Massillon was forced to close the local OB-GYN unit and local births now take place in other hospitals out of town. Because the hospital staff doesn’t have the Massillon loyalty the presentation has become somewhat hit and miss.

If you are a Tiger fan and have a newborn in your family and you did not receive a miniature football, the Booster Club would be glad to make sure your newborn gets an official Tiger Football.

Your newborn can receive a football from the Booster Club by contacting this year’s President, Ben Lieberman, at 330-564-6265.  Or you can email him at  benxrow2002@yahoo.com. He will see that you get a football from the Booster Club.

Proud of our Traditions! Go Tigers!