As part of NCAA Div. III Week, a positive opportunity for all individuals associated with Div. III to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community, we are taking a look at some of the many ways our Fighting Scots are involved with community service endeavors.
Wooster's student-athletes are regularly involved with their teammates, friends on campus, and in other small groups with various service opportunities. These opportunities include team initiatives, team program houses on campus, and opportunities provided by the Wooster Volunteer Network. This Div. III Week feature focuses on team activities. Wooster's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and all head coaches were provided opportunities to submit team-related activities prior to Div. III week.
Last year, men's lacrosse became Wooster's first team to sign a Team IMPACT student. Men's lacrosse worked to have Luke introduced as part of the starting lineup during the men's basketball home game against State University of New York at Brockport in November.
As highlighted in December, Wooster's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised nearly $10,000 to support seven local families as part of the group's longstanding holiday partnership with Wayne County's Department of Job and Family Services. SAAC has raised approximately $34,000 over seven years of the service program.
Wooster's SAAC wore their varsity jerseys as they welcomed Wooster area students to their local schools this academic year. Each school had at least six Fighting Scots present. During Boo at Woo, Wooster's SAAC handed out over 600 pieces of candy at the community event.
Wooster's women's varsity teams host an annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day Clinic for area youth in conjunction with a home women's basketball game.
Cornerstone Elementary School attends a men's basketball game once a year, coordinated by its parent-teacher organization.
Women's basketball and men's lacrosse hosts after school clinics at the Boys and Girls Club of Wooster and the men's lacrosse team's program house regularly volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club. Women's basketball assisted with park cleanup at Wooster Memorial Park and assisted with a wheelchair basketball practice for Adaptive Sports Ohio in Twinsburg.
Women's lacrosse's program house works with the Montessori School of Wooster, while the men's basketball team provides logistical support for the Wooster Kiwanis Used Book Sale, the largest fall used book sale in Ohio. Men's basketball hosts a free youth clinic as part of the Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic, which is a community-wide event that helps restock People to People Ministries food bank.
Swimming and diving annually assists with park cleanup at Wooster Memorial Park and with parking at the Home and Garden Show. The team works with Edgewood Middle School's special education students and annually swims in the Ted Mullin Hour of Power for sarcoma research and awareness.
Volleyball reads to elementary school students throughout the academic year, while cheerleading hosted the middle school team for a basketball game and regularly assists with Wooster Winter Wonderland's welcome of Santa.
Wooster's athletic trainers provide first aid and CPR training to Wooster High School's coaching staff.
Men's soccer's program house regularly volunteers at The College of Wooster Nursery School. The program hosts clinics for youth soccer players in the area, reads and teaches soccer to students at Parkview Elementary, assists with the Nick Amster clinic, and volunteers for Night to Shine.
Men's lacrosse assists the Wayne County Humane Society with its parking lot for the Wayne County Fair. The team raised about $1,700 for the Headstrong Foundation, which supports lodging for guest families displaced in pursuit of cancer treatment. Additionally, the program runs several youth clinics for the Wooster Lacrosse Club and a service program house runs a weekly breakfast service at an area church.
Football is involved with a reading initiative with second grade students throughout Wooster City Schools. Each week, several players join the second graders at a different elementary school, read a book provided by the 2nd & 7 foundation, and then each second grader is provided a copy of the book to keep. Football also assisted with the Nick Amster clinic.
Field hockey annually assists with the Monday Night Mile, which raises money for Akron Children's Hospital. The team helps with event setup, registration, youth races, and cheering on all finishers. Field hockey introduced Nick Amster participants to basic field hockey skills and will be partnering with the local city recreation department to do likewise in April.
Baseball, women's golf, and softball assisted with Night to Shine. Softball ran several wiffle ball games with the Boys and Girls Club of Wooster and decorated Westview Healthy Living for the holidays. Lastly, women's tennis volunteers with the local pet pantry.
