A young Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan has developed a special friendship with her favourite player, leading to a unique game day tradition for the club’s star kicker.
Piper Montgomery, 12, now comes down from the stands at home games and joins Sergio Castillo on the field during warm-ups.
The unexpected friendship started when Castillo signed a football for the tween at the Bombers’ merch store last spring and left her an inspirational message: ‘Plant the seed of hard work daily’ — a mantra he says has stuck with him throughout his career.
“So I signed that football, I gave it to her,” Castillo told 680 CJOB’s The Start.
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“Fast forward to our first pre-season game — she has a big … cardboard sign and it says, ‘I planted the seed of hard work today.'”
Montgomery, a ringette goalie, said the message resonated with her, and she wanted to let Castillo know.
“(The message means) Try as hard as you can in everything you do, and get what you want out of it, and always give it everything you have,” she said.
That second encounter led to Castillo inviting her onto the field, and Montgomery said she believes her presence has been calming for the Texas native.
“Sometimes he just asks about the wind and everything,” she says. “It calms him down when he’s worrying about it sometimes. I’ve learned he always wants you to be positive and try your hardest at everything. It’s always cool to learn from people who do it in such big leagues.”
Montgomery’s dad Matt said the experience has been ‘incredible’ for the whole family.
“The guy is probably the nicest guy you could meet, in sports or out. It’s just been a great experience for her, for myself, our whole family.
“Things you imagine about as a kid, it’s really great she gets to experience it.”
Castillo said he hopes to return the favour this winter and attend one of Montgomery’s ringette games.
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