Even before the school year officially opens, local high school athletes are planning a day of service to show their appreciation for the community members who support the teams financially and in spirit throughout the year.

Olivia Natale, who plans to practice indoor and outdoor track as a junior this fall, said about 150 students who play sports at Westborough High School will fan out across the community on Monday, August 24 in a mass show of gratitude and service called Rangers Give Back Day.
“It’s not just the financial support, even though it’s amazing, but also the encouragement and excitement for our games,” said Natale.

She said activities include taking walks and having lunch with nursing home patients, tending to gardens and cleaning up yards for senior citizens, and visiting all five schools that educate Westborough’s younger kids to organize first day packets, arrange signs and bulletin boards and help with mulching and weeding on the campuses.

“It’s very rewarding for the teams. It’s a fun experience, and very eye-opening because people think, wow, it’s great to give back to the community. And the community winds up a little neater and nicer too,” said Natale. She said an added bonus is team members getting to know each other and having a bonding experience for a good cause prior to their seasons starting.

“I think it’s a great way to start the season, with some good karma that hopefully comes back to us,” said Will Kelley, a rising senior who will serve as captain of the soccer team this fall. He added that the support from the community creates some inspiration for the popular Rangers to play their hardest.
“It really adds to the chemistry of our team,” he said, agreeing with Natale that service is one way teams can bond before their games start.

“Especially before the try-outs for our season,” said Katie Bretta, an incoming senior who will play soccer and track this fall. Student leaders said the volunteer event isn’t about looking good on their college applications, but letting the community know that support for high school athletics isn’t taken for granted.
Rangers Give Back Day ties in with the reputation for service at Westborough High School, where students often plan cancer awareness events, rake and shovel for senior citizens and disabled residents and read to younger kids without being required to by adults and without expecting recognition for their efforts. Student leaders of Rangers Give Back Day hope that spirit of service stays with students throughout college and careers.

“We hope they find a passion for community service that will carry on with them,” said Natale.

By Ann Kenda/Wicked Local Correspondent

To read more please visit: http://westborough.wickedlocal.com/article/20150821/NEWS/150829058

The Student-Athlete Affairs program is committed to engaging student-athletes in service, promoting fellowship in the types of projects it undertakes, while teaching its student-athletes leadership and responsibility. Student-athletes are given opportunities to develop the foundation for a lifelong commitment to service.

FGCU’s student-athletes have excelled in the classroom and throughout the community. This past fall, the Eagles’ student-athletes achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.28, surpassing that of the overall student body (2.98) for the 11th consecutive semester. The Eagles have also contributed nearly 30,000 hours of community service the past six years as part of enhanced efforts within the department’s NCAA Life Skills initiatives.

To learn more please visit: http://fgcuathletics.com/sports/2014/10/21/Service.aspx?id=159

Providing service to a community that supports the Auburn Family is a primary objective for the Auburn Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), so it comes as no surprise that 17 Auburn student-athletes and two Auburn Athletics staff members travelled to Mobile, Ala., for a weekend community service trip.

Lakin Eddy, SAAC President, created this trip to expose student-athletes to more service opportunities outside of the Auburn area. The goal of this trip was to go to an area of Alabama that was in need of help, and after contacting Habitat for Humanity, the Mobile region was selected as the destination.

“We were told the Mobile area was where the greatest need was in the state. We spend all year giving back to our local community, but we wanted to go the extra mile to show that the Auburn Family has no boundaries. We wanted to help out those who need it most,” said Eddy.

The group left for Mobile Friday afternoon and started their first project early Saturday morning. Through Habitat for Humanity, they were assigned help a lady who struggled with maintaining her home after her husband passed away. The students worked all day to repaint and caulk the outside of the house as well as putting baseboards in the rooms inside the house.

Sunday morning, the group went to Prichard, Alabama to work with a nonprofit organization called Light of the Village, a faith-based organization dedicated to inner city children. They spent the day mentoring the children of the area, spending time with them and doing what they do best, playing sports. The athletes left a huge impact on the children after spending only a day with them.

“I thought this weekend was an incredible experience. We got to see and help areas and people that we normally never would. We also got to expand our views while having a great time. I look forward to doing the trip again,” said Kullen Hlawek, from gymnastics.

Along with serving the community, this trip allowed athletes from different sports to bond with each other. With members of the football, equestrian, gymnastics, soccer, golf and track and field teams participating in the trip, the students were given the opportunity to spend time with other Auburn athletes outside of the members of their own teams.

“The community service trip really meant a lot to me and is by far one of the best things I’ve done while being at Auburn. I am so thankful for being given the opportunity from the athletic department to help serve in the community and make a difference in other people’s lives. I am glad I met other athletes outside of my sport and was able to develop a friendship with them,” said track and field athlete Amber Murrell.

By: Michaela Fendley

Read more at: http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/comm-service/spec-rel/072815aaa.html

INDIANAPOLIS- Some of the local UIndy football student-athletes kicked off the 2015 year with some community service, spending the afternoon at a reading event hosted by a local elementary school.

“It was a great experience to hang out with local youth, while at the same time getting to promote the importance of reading,” Frank Brock said.

The Greyhounds attended the Read-In at Grassy Creek Elementary, and read to and with third graders at the local school. Before the reading time, which had a sports theme in honor of UIndy’s attendance, the Greyhound student-athletes answered questions about being a student-athlete.

“Reading to the kids at Grassy Creek Elementary school was extremely fun for both us and the kids,” Alex Bobos said. “It was a good experience to be apart of and I hope we had a positive impact on them with reading.”

UIndy football officially reports Thursday, and will kick off preseason activities soon after. The season opener for this year’s edition of Greyhound football is Thursday evening, Sept. 3, with UIndy hosting Saginaw Valley State at 7:00 p.m. on the new turf at Key Stadium.

To read more please visit: http://athletics.uindy.edu/news/2015/8/12/FB_0812152004.aspx?path=football

Kelsey Walters is entering her first year as the coach of the Longmont High School softball team and she’s hoping to bring a fresh start to a program that hasn’t had a winning season since before she graduated from the school in 2009.

One recent tradition that Walters, 24, wants to continue, however, is the team’s spirit of philanthropy. On Saturday, the Trojans will help out with the Tour De Cure Colorado in Longmont, a tradition started by her little sister, senior Hali Walters, four years ago.

“We have a sister (Taryn Servold) that has Type 1 diabetes, so this event means a lot to us,” Kelsey Walters said. “She (Hali) just made sure that the team made it important.”

All 20 members of the varsity and junior varsity squads will be helping out at the end of the Tour De Cure — tearing down booths, cheering on those who bike the 100 mile event and handing out medals.

Student-athletes are often recognized for their hard work on the field, but Walters wants to make sure her athletes work just as hard off the field.

“I am working on more (volunteer opportunities) since I just got hired, this is the only one for right now,” Walters said. “But we’re always looking into more because we not only represent Longmont softball but the Longmont community.”

To read more please visit: http://www.timescall.com/longmont-local-news/ci_28638083/longmont-student-athletes-give-back-community