Ever wonder what else college athletes do other than practice, eat, and go to class? There's a lot more to it than most people think and I'm proud to say that we, college athletes, do a good job of participating in helping our communities. Sure there are some of us who give lessons to local kids, or get paid to do camps over summer, but there is also a bit of volunteering that I don't think people know about. I think this is something that would shed a better light on NCAA athletics if people knew just a bit more about us.
Last week the post season began for the GCSU soccer team and yesterday they received their first bid to the post season in the five-year history of the program. Congrats ladies. But even more important to this blog, last week the team participated in Breakfast with the Champions in Augusta during the 2008 Peach Belt Conference Tournament. Five men's and five women's teams met at a park and hosted 120 area youth soccer players for breakfast and a clinic. The clinic was free to the soccer-tots and gave the chance for the kids to learn skills and collect autographs from the players.
How cool is that?
This is the first time the PBC has done something like this during a post season, but definitely not the first time for college athletics. When we, the GCSU softball team (woop!), went to Nationals in 2006 we also had a community project. The tournament is almost a week long and along with games, banquets, and picnics we were required to visit the Veteran's Hospital in Virginia. That was so much fun! We walked around the rooms, visited and joked with the patients, and really had a good time talking softball and representing our school. It was something I never thought we would be required to do when participating in nationals but absolutely something we all enjoyed.
On the other side, GCSU is going to honor a "community hero" each week of the basketball season. The hero must be a resident of Milledgeville, have made a significant impact in a certain specified area. The women's basketball team is known for their volunteer work and I think it's awesome they are going to recognize others for the same thing.
I'm happy to read that this is the plan for the PBC, to include some sort of community engagement project at each of the championships every year. I hope by the time we're setting up to win our second PBC title this April that we can do something like this. Do [community] work, Bobcats!
(The picture is from last season when one of our teammate's mom was hit by a car Easter weekend standing on the side of the road. She was hospitalized, endured several surgeries, and has been working to walk by herself since. We wore ribbons to honor and support her recovery. Love you, Mrs. Smith!)
