2008 Woodie Awards
Athletes reach out to the community
Alex Voigt
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
There is a lot more to being a collegiate athlete than simply practicing and competing in sports.
Just ask Brad Padgett.
The junior wrestler was one of 83 participants in the Fall Mississippi River Cleanup, which took place Oct. 6 along the riverbanks of SCSU's campus. Organized by Outdoor Endeavors, the group collected more than 600 pounds of garbage throughout the day.
Padgett wasn't the only wrestler to show up, as the entire SCSU wrestling team took time to help with the river cleanup as well.
Their help was certainly appreciated by Outdoor Endeavors.
"The fact that their entire team showed up shows a sense of unity and commitment to the team. That's an awesome thing to see," head of Outdoor Endeavors Ivan Bartha said. "We had more people than we've ever had for the river cleanup so far, and the wrestling team was a big part of that."
The river cleanup also gave the wrestling team an opportunity to see each other in a setting other than the wrestling room.
Padgett said getting to see his teammates outside of practice gave him a chance to see a different side of his fellow wrestlers.
"It gives us a chance to really get to know one another," Padgett said. "In practice, it's a lot more of an intense situation where we're always in each other's faces. With this, we get to see each other laughing and being a lot more laid back."
The river cleanup is just one of many examples of community service being done by SCSU athletes on a regular basis. The effects of athletes helping out in the community can be seen everywhere.
Just in this semester alone, the football team helped incoming freshmen move into their dorms during Move-In Day, the swimming team ran the Homecoming Clean-Up event and almost every sport ran a sports clinic of some kind for young athletes.
"It's important for us to reach out because it gives people a way to get to know the athletes personally," women's head basketball coach Lori Ulferts said. "Once people can make that personal connection with an athlete, they are a lot more likely to come and watch that athlete play."
Just ask Brad Padgett.
The junior wrestler was one of 83 participants in the Fall Mississippi River Cleanup, which took place Oct. 6 along the riverbanks of SCSU's campus. Organized by Outdoor Endeavors, the group collected more than 600 pounds of garbage throughout the day.
Padgett wasn't the only wrestler to show up, as the entire SCSU wrestling team took time to help with the river cleanup as well.
Their help was certainly appreciated by Outdoor Endeavors.
"The fact that their entire team showed up shows a sense of unity and commitment to the team. That's an awesome thing to see," head of Outdoor Endeavors Ivan Bartha said. "We had more people than we've ever had for the river cleanup so far, and the wrestling team was a big part of that."
The river cleanup also gave the wrestling team an opportunity to see each other in a setting other than the wrestling room.
Padgett said getting to see his teammates outside of practice gave him a chance to see a different side of his fellow wrestlers.
"It gives us a chance to really get to know one another," Padgett said. "In practice, it's a lot more of an intense situation where we're always in each other's faces. With this, we get to see each other laughing and being a lot more laid back."
The river cleanup is just one of many examples of community service being done by SCSU athletes on a regular basis. The effects of athletes helping out in the community can be seen everywhere.
Just in this semester alone, the football team helped incoming freshmen move into their dorms during Move-In Day, the swimming team ran the Homecoming Clean-Up event and almost every sport ran a sports clinic of some kind for young athletes.
"It's important for us to reach out because it gives people a way to get to know the athletes personally," women's head basketball coach Lori Ulferts said. "Once people can make that personal connection with an athlete, they are a lot more likely to come and watch that athlete play."