Jan. 23, 2007

Moraga, CA - Saint Mary's Athletics continued its yearlong commitment to community service, as student-athletes re-established the program they started with the Concord Youth Center in the fall semester. Two student-athletes from the volleyball team visited the academic center at the CYC to tutor young kids on Thursday, January 11 and the baseball team sent two players to the Center last week. All fourteen SMC Athletic teams will participate in this program at some point throughout the semester.

The program was instituted in September after meeting with several individuals at the Concord Youth Center who expressed the extreme need for volunteer help from the College age demographic. Saint Mary's Athletics saw this as a great opportunity to teach our mission, "Enter to Learn, Learn to Serve," while serving the community.

Each week, two student-athletes from a particular program volunteer their time to tutor the kids in the academic center. Not only is this a great program for the kids at the Center, but it allows our student-athletes the opportunity to serve as role models, giving them a greater sense of just how lucky they are to be playing a Division I sport in College.

Along with the Concord Youth Center project, Saint Mary's Athletics will continue individual team service projects in the spring, similar to what women's soccer did with their pen-pal program last fall.