LAS CRUCES >> Matthew Taylor made the best of his redshirt season with the New Mexico State men’s basketball team last year without playing a minute.
Taylor, a wing out of Canada, couldn’t practice, travel or play games with the Aggies during a NCAA Tournament season. But he still represented the Aggies well. Taylor racked up an incredible 51 hours of community service last year.
“It’s my attitude, I’m a people person and I looked at it as a chance for the community to get to know me since I’m going to be here for a few more years,” Taylor said. “I didn’t have anything to do with my time, so I took the opportunity to help people in the community who support us.”
Under the direction of head coach Marvin Menzies and former video coordinator Josh Daeche, the Aggies finished with a total of 551 hours of community service last year, leading all university men’s teams for the second straight year.
“I feel like our players need to understand that being an Aggie is about more than walking out on the court and playing, it’s being involved with the people of the community and having an affinity for the people who support you and going out and supporting them,” Menzies said. “Quite frankly, it was the way that I was raised. I think it’s an important characteristic for your players to help them develop and grow. I think one thing real men do is give back and I think that was the motivation to go above and beyond the requirements of the athletic department.”
For context, NMSU student-athletes are required to perform 15 hours of community service per year, meaning for the 13 scholarships for men’s basketball, the Aggies surpassed the minimum requirement by 356 hours collectively. Aggies players averaged 31.5 hours of community service per player last year.
“(Menzies) challenged the team overall but I took it upon myself as a challenge individually anytime there was an opportunity to do community service to extend my hours,” Taylor said.
The list of charities and organizations the men’s basketball team worked with last year included the Mesilla Valley Elementary, Las Cruces Boys and Girls Club and El Caldito Soup Kitchen, Sunrise Elementary and the Las Cruces March of Dimes Walk event.
“I was very pleased with the men’s basketball team this year,” said Donna Wood, who has been a volunteer at El Caldito since 1999. “Marvin Menzies has instilled pride in them and a reason to go out there and help the community. I was contacted by (Daeche) and we set up times for them to be here. They were an asset when they were here, but I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. We have had a lot of support.”
Aggies players worked at the soup kitchen on two separate weekends and worked in food preparation on the morning of Thanksgiving.
“If they are here when we are serving clients, we explain that we serve each person who comes through the doors with no questions and that you are to make everyone feel wanted and they did that,” Wood said.
Boys and Girls Club volunteer coordinator Carina Infante said the children looked forward to when athletes from NMSU came to help.
Former Aggie Renaldo Dixon was second behind Taylor last year in community service with 49 hours, and he still volunteers on a daily basis as part of a class, Infante said.
“We have had a good relationship with them over the past couple of years,” Infante said. “It is good when they come because most of the kids are super into sports and they are always excited to get out and do things outside.”
The Aggies have adopted a charity in the past, but Menzies welcomed all comers last year.
“This year we decided to spread ourselves out to anyone who would ask if it fit in the schedule we would try to accommodate them,” Menzies said. “We welcome people inviting us to support their causes, especially those that involve charity and help speak to the community.”
Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459
Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-sports/ci_26078324/aggies-community