(06-16-08)
WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- During the 2007-08 school year, University of New Haven student-athletes completed 2,071 hours of community service. The 17 varsity teams exceeded the department-wide goal of 1,500 hours, and nearly doubled their 2006-07 total of 1,132 hours.
Director of Athletics Deborah Chin, who serves as Chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council, reminds us that "One of the six attributes of NCAA Division II is 'Service'. At UNH and in Division II, we stress the development of positive societal attitudes through contributions to the community. Our student-athletes have certainly shown through their efforts this year that they care passionately about others in our area."
Whether it was the women's basketball team spending time as Molloy School Mentors or the men's cross country and track teams volunteering in the Washington School Mentor Program, UNH student-athletes have been doing their best to become a valuable part of the Greater New Haven and southern Connecticut community.
"It's great to see so many of our student-athletes getting out into the area," said Athletic Department Community Service Liaison Brendan Faherty, the head coach of the UNH Women's Soccer team. "To exceed our goal by over 500 hours really shows how much the student-athletes at UNH care about their community."
Leading the athletic department was the women's basketball team, which logged just short of 500 hours of community service in 2007-08. They volunteered nearly 300 hours combined at the Wallingford Recreation Department, the Molloy School Mentor Program and by holding free basketball clinics at UNH for area youth.
"It has been a pleasure for the students of Molloy School to have worked with the women’s basketball and baseball teams from the University of New Haven the past few years," said Steve Lopes, the principal at Molloy School in West Haven. "The mentors from the University of New Haven have provided our students with positive role models as well as enhancing their educational experience through athletics. The Molloy school students also enjoy going to the games and seeing the athletes in their environment. The mentors assist our students with discussions on improving academies and attendance as well as making positive choices in their lives. Our students anxiously await the mentors' arrival weekly. We look forward to continuing the program with UNH Athletics for many years to come."
The Charger softball team volunteered more than 200 hours at the after school program at the New Haven YMCA, while the women's soccer team spent time with the Thompson School Mentors Program along with the men's soccer team and also helped out with the Guilford and Branford Youth Soccer programs. UNH staffers got involved in the efforts as well, getting together to help clean up the United Nations Peace Garden in New Haven this fall.
Community service is stressed as a valuable learning tool and growth opportunity for UNH's student-athletes. Each of the Charger teams compete against one another in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Challenge, of which community service hours are just one portion of the team scoring. Other factors in the scoring include athletic and academic excellent, and personal and career development.
With a new academic year on the horizon, UNH and its student-athletes will look to become an even more invaluable part of the community in 2008-09. "Even with a fantastic 2007-08 effort, we can shoot for more hours next year," said Faherty.
