WHAT IS YOUR TEAM DOING TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY

One of the primary lessons I learned from Coach Dale Brown is that "college sports was simply a vehicle to accomplish more important things in life."  It was commonplace at LSU for our team to visit children hospitals on road trips.  Coach Brown would always take our team to various places to visit or get involved in projects.  He played regular season games in the New Orleans Superdome to raise money and awareness for a homeless shelter and a national organ donor program.

I took these lessons to the women's program where we became very involved in Breast Cancer Awareness programs.  We played a game in New Orleans as well to raise money post-Katrina to rebuild a home and a park.  We got out team involved in as many community projects as possible.

Now at the University of Central Florida in our first team meeting, the staff went over community service projects for the summer -- I knew I was in the right place!

Below is quote from Bob Knight on his belief of community involvement in collegiate athletics but if I was a high school coach I would also find ways to give back to my community. 

What is you team doing this summer to make the world a better place?

"Athletics, to be more than athletics, has to be a contributor to a university.  It has to be a contributor to a community.  A team that just plays without involvement with people isn't really what I think of when I think of what's best in intercollegiate athletics."

-Bob Knight