Minnesota had 84.5 percent of its student body volunteer in 2012-13

Oct. 1, 2013

GIVING BACK
Written by Athletic Communications Assistant, Justine Buerkle

Gopher student-athletes are making a difference in the community through the Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community (MAGIC) program.

Between athletic and academic responsibilities, free time can be hard to come by for busy student-athletes. Yet 84.5 percent of Minnesota Golden Gophers spent at least some of their rare free time this past year volunteering through Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community.

Anissa Lightner, the assistant director of Student-Athlete affairs, said that MAGIC’s main goals are to help student-athletes give back and to allow community members to see beyond the maroon and gold uniforms and into the off-the-field side of the Gophers.

Continuing relationships play an important role in MAGIC’s success. Student-Athlete Affairs organized 242 events in the past year, and many of them are annual and/or parts of larger initiatives.
The Hope Day Festival, held for children with life-threatening illnesses, was the seventh annual. Four student-athletes were on the planning board for the event, and Lightner said it “just keeps getting bigger and better.” Additions to the 2013 event included increased student group involvement and a “game-and-ride” trailer that simulated the conditions and motions shown in video games as the kids played.

Create a Memory is another of the largest volunteer events involving Minnesota student-athletes. They serve as celebrities during a day of fun at Target Field with a group of 500 kids.

Camp Odayin is one of the longest events, as the volunteer group is gone for about 14 hours. The camp gives kids with heart disease a chance to be outdoors and have fun in a safe place where they can get emergency care if they need it.
A few campaigns with some of the greatest visibility are annual collection drives for Toys for Tots and Second Harvest. Student-athletes attend other Gopher teams’ sporting events to collect donations at entrances or in the concourses.

MAGIC also runs several ongoing educational campaigns. In the upcoming year, it will add anti-bullying and dental hygiene programs. MAGIC will also look to go more in-depth with its existing programs, including “Exercise Your Heart and Mind” and “Eat Smart Play Hard,” promoting healthy lifestyles and dedication in the classroom. Exercise Your Heart and Mind focuses on fostering girls’ interest in math and science.

MAGIC’s community partners will notice another new addition soon: a new MAGIC bus. The bus brings Gopher volunteers to and from many MAGIC events, and is decorated with photos of Gopher student-athletes who volunteer through the program. The program’s sponsor, St. Jude Medical Foundation, made the new bus possible.

Whether on the MAGIC bus or by their own transportation, Gopher student-athletes made it out into the community for 11,764.4 recorded volunteer hours from April 2012 to April 2013. Many of them were repeat volunteers, as 205 Gophers logged more than 10 hours, 101 more than 25 hours and 40 more than 50 hours during that time.

“When you don’t have a requirement for it, but we still gave around 12,000 hours back to the community, to me that’s just incredible,” Lightner said. “It really shows the passion that our student-athletes have.”

Source: http://www.gophersports.com/sports/student-affairs/spec-rel/100113aaa.html

Several Penn State student-athletes participated in the annual NLC Thank-A-Thon

Oct. 1, 2013

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. – On Saturday September 21, before the Kent State football game, nearly 60 student-athletes took part in the annual Thank-A-Thon sponsored by the Nittany Lion Club to thank the fans for their unwavering support of Penn State Athletics.

The Thank-A-Thon is responsible for bringing together student-athlete representatives from all Varsity sports on campus to show their appreciation to those who give back to Penn State Athletics. The athletes take to the parking lots surrounding Beaver Stadium to express their gratitude to the donors who help make their sport programs and scholarships possible.

Director of The Varsity `S’ Club, Clinton Eury (’05 Baseball), understands the importance of donor involvement and giving back to those who make it all possible.
“Without the support of our donors our programs wouldn’t be as effective,” said Eury. “As a former student athlete, it is truly remarkable to be on the otherside. I remember as a student-athlete how grateful I was for the support of donors. Without our Nittany Lion Club members, I wouldn’t have been provided with the opportunities that I had. This also speaks for today’s student-athletes.”

During the event, the athletes handed out hundreds of Penn State items including pens, stationary and One Team stickers. The student athletes engaged in conversation with those who make playing their sport possible, in turn receiving positive feedback from donors for their kind act.

Junior sprinter for the Women’s Track and Field team, Dynasty McGhee, was excited about the opportunity to the thank the fans for their unconditional support.
“There is so much pride wearing that Nittany Lion on your chest,” said McGhee. “The fans contribute to that.”

Both the Nittany Lion Club and Varsity `S’ Club sponsor several events throughout the year, and contribute to preserving the traditions of being a Penn State Athlete, long after the uniforms are turned in.
Freshman Emma Sibson, a member of the Women’s Gymnastics Team put it best.

“Without the fans, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love.”

Source: http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/c-lionclub/spec-rel/100113aaa.html

BOULDER – On Saturday, the University of Colorado Athletic Department and CU student-athletes hosted approximately 800 Boulder flood victims at Folsom Field. The event, which took place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the stadium’s Club Level, provided evacuees with a meal and a chance to visit with athletes, coaches and administrators.

“Our student-athletes and the athletic department really care about this community,” said Colorado Athletic Director Rick George. “This event is a way to help them through all the devastation they’ve dealt with over the past several days.”

A majority of attendees were residents of CU’s family housing, who were evacuated on Wednesday evening due to complex’s proximity to Boulder Creek.

“This means a lot,” said Sarah Stith, a resident manager at CU’s Smiley Court Apartments who attended the event with her husband and two young children. Smiley Court, located on the corner of 30th Street and Colorado Avenue, sits directly next to Boulder Creek. The complex is one of several on the CU-Boulder campus that houses a variety of graduate students with families, committed couples, and single parents.
“It’s been a hard time. It’s nice to know that this community is here and that everyone is coming together. Tragedies like this can make you feel really separated from the rest of the world and it’s things like this that just make you realize what a great community we have,” Stith said.

Student-Athletes from football, men and women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and women’s volleyball spent the afternoon serving food, cleaning tables, and entertaining the children in attendance by signing autographs and taking photos.

“Our team has been doing everything we can to help out the community of Boulder,” said CU basketball guard and Boulder native Beau Gamble. “It’s great to see the other student-athletes out helping too and doing whatever they can, whether it’s helping people move out of flooded basements or digging out cars, or whatever else needs to be done. Today, half of the team is over at the Center for Community helping out since they are low-staffed and the rest of us are here at Folsom greeting evacuees from CU’s family housing.”

Colorado’s football team, which was slated to take on Fresno State in Boulder on Saturday, spent the day much differently than anticipated after the game was postponed. However, for the players and CU’s coaching staff, being able to give back to the overwhelmed Boulder community was just as rewarding.

“A lot of the people here today are dealing with a really hard situation,” head coach Mike MacIntyresaid. “They aren’t going to be able to get into their apartments or homes for a while. For us to be able to do this is a great thing. We had all of this food ready for the game and to be able to use it now to help the community and show them that we care, that’s great.”

Several student-athletes helping at the event were also displaced during the widespread flooding, including wide receiver D.D. Goodson.

“Personally, I was affected Thursday night when the basement that I live in was flooded,” said Goodson. “The water in my room was about waist high. I lost my sofa, my television and some of my shoes and other necessities. It’s nice to help these evacuees because I know what they are going through.”

For the student-athletes that work endlessly to improve their performance on the field, serving the community in a time of need was one way to remind them that their performance off the field is just as important.
“Today has been a huge opportunity for us to give back to the community,” said quarterback Connor Wood. “We need to be more than football players and more than student-athletes. Coach MacIntyre wants us to be great men, responsible men, and selfless men. This is one way that we can learn that lesson.”

Release: September 14, 2013
By: Lauren Lanier, Student SID
Source: http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=209260394

BETHLEHEM, PA.

Over 50 Lehigh student-athletes made the short trip to Donegan Elementary School on Wednesday for a pep rally to kick off another year of the Reading Rocks program. Run through C.O.A.C.H. (Community Outreach by Athletes who Care about Helping), Lehigh student-athletes make weekly trips to Donegan to read with the youngsters.

“Whenever I come and read to the students at Donegan, it’s such a nice feeling to give back,” said women’s lacrosse senior and co-captain of Student-Athlete Council Alexandra Fitzpatrick. “Going to a school like Lehigh, you’re so privileged to get such a great education and meet and work with incredible people. It’s awesome to be able to give that experience to these students and to show them where hard work and really focusing on your studies can lead. Hopefully we can inspire them to keep working hard in school and really enjoy reading.”

“It was a great turnout today,” said men’s lacrosse senior and member of the SAC committee Harrison Lawrence. “It was the biggest group we’ve had so far. It’s great when the kids are excited, come in screaming and get excited about reading. It’s always good to give back to the community, especially when you’re living here nine months out of the year.”

New this year, the student-athletes will spend a full hour reading with the youngsters on each of the first three Wednesdays every month, while the final Wednesday will consist of playing games. Since the program began, the school’s PSSA scores (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) have increased greatly.

“It’s taken on a life of its own and has been awesome to see how many kids that participate,” said Lawrence. “Every year that we can add on more kids and more student-athletes helping out is great for the school.”

Lehigh seniors Nigel Muhammad (football) and Paul Ciavardelli (track and field) serve as the leaders for the Reading Rocks program.

“It was awesome to see how excited the youngsters were to see all the student-athletes,” said Fitzpatrick. “That same excitement and enthusiasm carries over to each Reading Rocks event that we have. Every Wednesday when we show up, there’s always that enthusiasm.

“Whether it’s the small teams like women’s tennis or basketball, or even the large teams like our men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, they’re all so excited and they really want to learn which gets our student-athletes pumped up.”

Source: http://www.lehighsports.com/news/2013/9/18/GEN_0918134649.aspx

Xavier men’s basketball head coach Chris Mack signed a 12-year-old to a National Letter of Intent today.

But before you get all up in arms about that being an NCAA violation, consider the circumstances.

The signee, Trey Couch, has cerebellar degeneration — a disease in which the neurons in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls motor skills and balance, deteriorate and die.

There is currently no cure for Couch’s condition, so he was matched up with Xavier University through a non-profit organization called “Team IMPACT.”

Team IMPACT’s goal is to match sick children with teams in their area to “help the children get through their physical and psychological challenges.”

Couch will attend practices and games and participates as if he were a member of the team. In the players’ eyes, he is.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join my new teammates in the locker room and on the court,” Couch told WCPO Cincinnati.

“This is a great opportunity for our team,” Mack said in a statement. “Sometimes we look at our everyday challenges and think we have it tough. We try to teach our student-athletes that there are a lot stiffer challenges that other people have to face.”

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-09-23/xavier-schedule-chris-mack-sign-12-year-old-letter-of-intent