Athletes win over local community

Author: Lise Rosenberger

As the Middlebury winter sports teams gear up for their impending seasons, their focus extends beyond simply getting in top shape and perfecting their plays. Off of their respective courts and ice arenas, teams participate in various forms of service to connect not only with the Middlebury community, but with each other.

"Sisters in Sport" is an organization that has provided the Middlebury women's basketball team a chance to become engaged in a mentoring program for local seventh graders. The basketball team's involvement with the middle school began "a couple years before the current seniors arrived on the scene, and is now a yearly tradition in our college basketball careers," said co-captain Katie Fisher '08.

Though mentoring occurs in-season, the relationships established with these middle-schoolers are maintained throughout the course of the year and, often, over the span of the four years spent here at the College. To initially break the ice and become familiar with each other, the team starts off by simply overseeing and coaching the kids' practices.

"We run them through drills, play some shooting games and share many a high-five," said Fisher. "At the end of the day, we play a heated version of the favorite 'Knock-Out'. It is always a battle over whether a college or a middle school girl will win out."

However, this bond over the love and commitment to a common sport quickly extends outside of the court. The teams travel to each others' games and cheer each other on. "They make us priceless signs encouraging us to work hard on the court and wave them proudly at our games," said Fisher. "It really is fantastic to see them in the stands."

More individual relationships are established through practicing and playing various games on a more personal basis, while, more importantly, Middlebury students become role models for these children. The athletes take specific interest in their lives and "share information about what we do at college and what they do at middle school," said co-captain Lani Young '08.

The women's basketball team is not only helping these adolescents perfect their jump shots, but are also serving as role models on a much larger scale. "When I was in middle school, our high school team came to practices similarly to how we do with these girls," said Young. "It meant so much to me as a young player to feel like the program I was in was filled with supportive people who I looked up to."

Needless to say, both ends - the teams involved and their recipients - are benefiting immensely from the relationships established by these programs.

"It's great to see the team in another context, especially working with younger kids," said Fisher. "Uninhibited youth injects cheeriness and vitality into older, cynical college students. Working with this team, especially seeing their optimistic faces in the crowd at our games, encourages me to enjoy each valuable moment of life."

Several of the Middlebury athletic teams participate in similar services. The men's hockey team is involved in a comparable mentoring program with elementary schoolers at the local Ripton and Beaman Schools. "I have been mentoring at a local school all four years now, as have most of my teammates," co-captain Mickey Gilchrist '08 said. Each week, the men travel to the schools and spend some one-on-one time with a designated elementary student.

As a senior reflecting on his involvement, Gilchrist noted the relationship he has maintained with one of the students. "It has been very interesting to watch one of my kids move up through elementary and into middle school," said Gilchrist. "He hasn't been my 'official' student for two years now, but I still receive e-mails and see him at the hockey games."

These programs offer opportunities for Middlebury athletes to not only come together as teams, but also to be involved in their community in a way they otherwise would not have been able to.

"I feel as an athlete it is difficult for me to find time to volunteer as much as I would like, so this is a great way to integrate basketball and volunteering together," Young said. As much of their time is dedicated to balancing practices and games with their other non-sports related commitments, being active in community involvement and volunteering can be tricky.

Community participation also provides a means of connection for the athletes out of season. "Our men's lacrosse team helped build the Beeman Elementary School (Bristol) playground last fall and most recently helped out with a breakfast for the elderly at the United Methodist Church in town," said Dave Campbell, coach of the men's lacrosse team and liaison to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Other organizations that Middlebury athletic teams are involved in include Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, the Special Olympics and the Humane Society. "Most teams are heavily involved," said Middlebury Athletic Director Erin Quinn.

Campbell's connection with the SAAC provides him with the opportunity to witness the reciprocal benefits of community involvement for student athletes. "It's nice to see some of these guys who show up to college having been such driven student-athletes and are so focused on what's going on in their own world to grow and think about what they can be doing for others," said Campbell. "Some guys find out that they really enjoy taking part in these events and it becomes something they take with them as they move on from Middlebury."

And the Middlebury athletes seem to agree. "You can often lose track of the impressions you can make on other people and the opportunities you have to influence others. This reminds us all of how watched our actions can be both on and off the court," said Young.