Montana’s student-athletes spent more than 2,190 hours donating their time to community service events and projects during the 2013-14 academic year, but you might wonder, How, exactly, does Griz soccer player Savannah Witt end up spending some of her free time at the Food Bank?

It’s actually remarkably streamlined, or at least it has been the last year, and it’s one of the reasons service-minded Grizzlies like Witt rarely go without in their desire to give back in any way possible.

A request is made through GoGriz.com. Lindsey Goodman, one of the department’s academic services advisors, sends out an email detailing the specifics of the service project to nearly 300 student-athletes. And opportunity is paired up with what has become a deep well of interest.

“I love the email system,” says Witt, who will be a redshirt sophomore in the fall. “My freshman year I wanted to be involved, but I really didn’t know where to start. This makes it so easy.”

How much is 2,194.5 hours, to be exact? If you worked 40 hours per week for an entire year, without a vacation day, sick day or holiday break, you’d put in 2,080 hours.

So the Grizzlies provided Missoula and other communities with what was essentially a full-time volunteer. While at the same time going to classes, studying, practicing, traveling and competing.

Given their other commitments, 2,194.5 hours just doesn’t seem like it should be possible, but they make it work, and never is an arm twisted.

Habitat for Humanity, the United Way of Missoula, the Montana Food Bank Network, the Heart Walk, the Buddy Walk, the American Red Cross, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Missoula, Watson’s Children Shelter, the Poverello Center. They all benefitted, as did others.

And it came without pay. Sort of.

“I’ve always loved being involved in the community,” says Witt, who spent two weeks earlier this month in Puerto Rico, where she worked with kids living in an orphanage. “Growing up I was always taught that helping others is important.

“Even when someone on our team isn’t excited about an opportunity beforehand, they always feel great about the experience afterwards and usually want to do more. When you help someone in need, it really opens your eyes to what others have gone through and reminds you again how blessed you are.”

When Montana Director of Athletics Kent Haslam was hired in September 2012, he stressed three areas in which he wanted his department’s programs to excel: athletics, academics and community service.

The first two have measurables that are pretty straightforward. Big Sky Conference championships, national tournament appearances, team and individual accolades, department GPAs, Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections, graduation rates.

But what about community service? What is the equivalent of a Big Sky championship or a 4.0 GPA?

“There is a measurable side to community service in the number of hours contributed, but the real reward is the service you provide and the help that you give,” Haslam says.

“It’s personally gratifying for me to see something that I wanted to make a focus of the department become something people are buying into. I commend the coaches and staff and particularly the student-athletes for making it a priority.”

The women’s track and field team set the standard in 2013-14, with 536 hours of community service, nearly a quarter of the department’s total.

But when adjusted for squad size, no one topped coach Jerry Wagner’s volleyball team, which goes 15 players deep. His Grizzlies totaled 228 hours, or more than 15 hours of service per player during the school year.

Witt wasn’t alone representing the Griz soccer team. Coach Mark Plakorus’s players averaged nearly 13 hours of service, a total of 425 for the team, second highest in the department.

“I think it’s important for our players to understand the impact they can make on people’s lives,” Plakorus says. “Being a Grizzly is special, and the impact a Grizzly can have on somebody is pretty unique. That’s a powerful responsibility.

“It’s something I’ve emphasized since I’ve been here: Let’s get out in the community and give back to the people who give us so much.”

Witt worked once a week during the spring semester at Paxson Elementary School. There was a need for her time, but the benefits went both ways. She valued the chance to be a role model for the students while creating a new stereotype for the adults of what a college athlete is.

For Haslam, always with the mindset of an educator, community service is another teaching tool.

“College athletics, through competition and by being a member of a team, teaches lessons to student-athletes that they can’t learn anywhere else,” he says.

“And I feel just as strongly about community service. It teaches about giving back and the opportunity to do good things in a community of people, and it helps people realize that most of us are really blessed.”

Source: http://www.gogriz.com/genrel/062614aaa.html

COPLEY — In the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014, University of Akron student athletes participated in the freshman leadership program and chose to work with Spring Garden Waldorf School (SGWS) students.
In fall, the UA freshman spread 50 yards of new mulch on the SGWS playground, shown above.

According to Spring Garden Admissions Director Amy Hecky, “This was a big, difficult job, and mulching our play area is essential for the safety of our children. We are so grateful the students were willing to come do such hard work.”

In the spring, a new group of freshman athletes talked to Spring Garden fifth-grade students about what it means to be a college athlete. The college students spoke about the importance of sleep, nutrition and good study habits and the necessity for hours and hours of practice that might seem mundane but are essential for competition. They also spoke to the importance of resilience — experiencing failure and getting up to try again. The fifth-graders, at the time of the discussion, were training for a multi-school pentathlon competition.

At the end of their involvement, the UA students donated $200 to the school.

“We were so moved and honored by this kind gesture after all they had already bestowed on our school,” Hecky said. “We give a heartfelt thanks to The University of Akron and their generous student athletes.”

Source: http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-sports-news.asp?aID=23381

“There are things that are bigger than us and we have to remember that.”

These are wise words from Central Michigan volleyball coach Erik Olson, which serve as motivation for his student-athletes and staff in their efforts to give back to the community.

The Chippewas have volunteered in several events throughout the year in hopes of making a difference, and to also get out of their comfort zone.

Team members volunteered as road rangers at the June 6-8 Le Tour de Mont Pleasant 2014, the largest USA Cycling-sanctioned multi-day pro cycling event in Michigan. More than 500 volunteers help make the event go.

Those who received the Chippewas’ help confirmed Olson’s belief that his team went above and beyond.

“They did beyond superb,” said Lisa Hadden, a race director and a certified official with USA Cycling. “These are strong and highly motivated young women who gave their all to a sport they probably have never seen. They conducted themselves in a professional manner, were positive, cheerful and awesome to work with. We were very impressed, which says a lot for their coaches as well. They were great role models for our younger volunteers.”

Throughout the spring semester, the Chippewas volunteered at the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen. In an effort to keep the focus on those in need, they volunteered a few at a time and did not identify themselves as CMU volleyball players.

In-house help was also received from the players when volunteering at CMU-related events, the Chippewa Challenge golf outing and Special Olympics Michigan.

“It is important to give back and be aware of other peoples struggles,” Olson said. “To help others achieve, and not just worrying about ourselves.”

Source: http://www.cmuchippewas.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/062614aaa.html

Recognizing that community service helps promote responsibility and character in young people, TeamUp4Community partnered with Met-Rx and NBTY Helping Hands in the “Spring Into Action Sports Community Service Challenge,” an interactive contest that challenged our Long Island Athletes to compete in service projects this past Spring season. This challenge encouraged community service among student athletes between the ages of 6 and 24. Three prizes totaling $5,000 in sports grants were awarded throughout the months of May and June. “NBTY Helping Hands & Met-Rx are very proud to team up with the W20 Foundation in support of their Team Up 4 Community program. It’s an inspiring program that allows athletes to win in their local communities by taking action and volunteering to help those in need. “ Jim Flaherty Director NBTY Helping Hands

The interactive contest, which ran from March 1, 2014 to April 30, 2014, required participants to share a short video of their community service work or their team’s community service work. The top 10 videos with the highest number of votes was posted on the www.TeamUp4Community.org website for viewers to vote on. The voting took place in the beginning of May and winners were announced shortly after.

The video with the most votes won a $3,000 sports grant- Longwood Athletics; the second-most voted video, a $1,500 sports grant – Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Athletes; and the third-most voted video, a $500 sports grant- Brentwood Student Athletes. For official contest rules go to www.TeamUp4Community.org

The “Spring Into Action Sports Community Service Challenge” successfully completed submissions totaling 12,605 hours of community service work performed by Long Island Athletes between March 1, 2014 to April 30, 2014. The value of their time served in the community is valued at over $91,386 given back in service.

Brentwood Student Athletes specifically teamed up in this challenge for a day to clean up Ross Park this past spring. Twenty Student (20) Athletes volunteered for Five (5) hours to clean up Ross Park in their local community. In Addition, Brentwood student athletes have completed close to 9,000 hours of community service work this year alone through their participation in two (2) of Team Up 4 Community’s Community Service Challenges. They were presented with the Presidents Call to Service Award that recognizes those who demonstrate a commitment and sustained example to inspire others to engage in volunteer service. This recognition inspires others to take positive action and make a difference.

Students athletes recorded and submitted their efforts to TU4C Long Island Community Service Challenges, two contests from Team Up for Community and NBTY Helping Hands during the 2013-2014 School Year that encouraged community service among LI student athletes and awards $5,000 in sports grants. The team’s efforts are posted on TU4C Website. http://tu4c_team.gotti.co/users/brentwood-athletic-booster-club

Brentwood Athletes received the first highest number of votes for their work in the Holiday community service challenge, which awarded them with a $1,500 sports grant and the third highest number of votes for their work in the Spring community service challenge awarding them a $500 sports grant.

Retired New York Islander Hockey Player Steve Webb created project Team Up 4 Community through his W20 Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to promoting social responsibility and community giveback through athletics. By highlighting different types of community service, young athletes will learn life skills that in turn increase their self-confidence, promote responsibility and independence, and help build strong character. Community services performed by youth strengthens young peoples’ senses of civic engagement and community and helps them to achieve their educational, developmental and social goals.

“Similar to athletics, volunteering helps build character and self esteem in young people, while simultaneously helping make a difference in the lives of others,” said Steve Webb, Team Up 4 Community Founder and President.

Communities are the backbone of Long Island, and its neighborhoods, organizations, teams, schools and friends join together to collectively make a difference. TU4C builds and strengthens communities and individual characters by promoting social responsibility and community giveback.

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About the W20 Foundation

When the W20 Foundation started in 2007 by retired NY Islander Steve Webb, it began with a focused local vision to assist young student ice hockey players with partial educational scholarships. These scholarships were designed to bring forth the presence of new possibilities for the Long Island youth hockey community. Since then, the increasing number of youth participation in organized sports throughout North America has reached over 60 million. Taking this growing number into consideration, the foundation believes it is the right time for social responsibility to be introduced to youth, which will create a very positive effect on our communities. With the mission to promote social responsibility and community giveback through athletics in North America, the W20 Foundation launched Team Up 4 Community, an international community giveback project, in 2012.

About the NBTY Helping Hands

NBTY Helping Hands is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization initiated by NBTY, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of nutritional supplements worldwide.

For many years, NBTY has shared its success by supporting the local community through charitable contributions to worthy causes. With the formation of NBTY Helping Hands, they hope to make an even greater impact by providing much-needed funds to more people than ever before.

NBTY Helping Hands is the only charity to bear the NBTY name. It is run solely by their very own associates who volunteer their time to continue in the NBTY tradition of giving.
The executive committee of NBTY Helping Hands carefully reviews each potential contribution recipient, ensuring that your contributions are put to the best possible use.
NBTY Helping Hands raises the majority of its funds through the NBTY Golf Outing Classic.

Their hope is to help those less fortunate or may need financial assistance or may be suffering from illness, trauma, poverty, abuse, or abandonment. Our dream is to help as many as possible.

Arizona State University American Indian students traveled with student athletes to Hopi and Navajo lands June 20-22 to bring the university to tribal nations, learn about Native cultures and share in healthy activities.

This is the second year that this Health and Wellness/Culture Exchange component of the longstanding “Tribal Nations Tour” has taken ASU students and staff to the far reaches of the state in an innovative endeavor to interact with tribal members, encourage higher education and wellness, and work on community service projects.

“ASU works hard to provide their student athletes with experiences within the communities throughout Arizona. It’s great to see them reaching out to the Native American communities. Their presence will serve as a reminder to all youth that a college education is a dream that can become a reality,” said LuAnn Leonard, Arizona Board of Regents member and executive director of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund.

ASU has one of the highest American Indian student populations in the nation and is a leading university in the country for awarding graduate degrees to American Indian students. In addition, the Tribal Nations Tour was featured as a best practice at the National Indian Education Association Conference and the annual College Board conference.

Students who joined this year’s tour learned about traditional Hopi perspectives on running, dined as Navajos do on roast mutton, participated in a “Sun Devils 5k Run and 3k Walk” and learned about Navajo contemporary and traditional culture. Tribal Nations Tour participants met with the Hopi Opportunity Youth Initiative, enjoyed a Hopi dinner and learned about the tribe’s culture. The tour is coordinated by the ASU President’s Office of American Indian Initiatives.

Joining the Tribal Nations Tour last year was a meaningful endeavor for Sun Devil Athletics student athletes and staff members who had “an incredibly powerful and memorable experience,” said William Kennedy, ASU associate athletic director.

“The opportunity to engage with the Native American community through service projects and cultural exchanges gave the group an in-depth look and appreciation of the Native American culture,” he added.

Some students are joining the tour again after a great experience last year that proved beneficial to all of the parties involved.

“The collaboration between the American Indian Initiatives office and the ASU Athletic Department is beneficial in strengthening relationships between the university and Tribal Nations. The partnership demonstrates ASU’s commitment to not only attracting American Indian students, but also to the improvement of tribal communities,” said Justin Hongeva, who is a member of the Hopi tribe and earning his master’s degree in American Indian Studies at ASU.

ASU American Indian students encourage youth to pursue higher education by setting an example, and student athletes on the tour promote healthy lifestyles through physical activity. “In exchange, ASU athletes learn about life on the reservation, which is important as American Indians are very much underrepresented in American society,” Hongeva added.

Source: https://asunews.asu.edu/20140619-tribal-nations-tour