Season of Giving
December 21, 2010
The DePauw field hockey team lost in overtime in the 2010 Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship game, but they came
out of the tournament with a victory that arguably meant much more.
Off the field, the conference's field hockey teams were also challenging
each other during Stick it to Cancer, a fundraising campaign to benefit
the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR). Without trophies or
accolades, they still had plenty of reasons to compete.
"If we haven't been touched by cancer in our own lives, one of our
friends most likely has," says Jenifer C. Snow, an assistant field
hockey coach who played for the team until she graduated last year.
Led in their efforts by Katherine E. Broecker '13, Alyssa G. Collin '12,
Taylor N. Helms '14 and Courtney E. Wood '12, the team sold ribbons and
t-shirts, and even held a field hockey clinic for friends and fans.
When the final donations were counted, the Tigers had collected
$3,400 – more than half of the nearly $5,000 raised by all the teams
combined.
"Losing is not something we like to do,” Snow says. "Raising more money than the other teams was always a goal of ours."
The field hockey team is an example of how competition and compassion fuel each other, but it isn't the only one on campus.
“The coaches foster an environment that encourages service and giving
back to the broader community," says S. Page Cotton, DePauw's director
of athletics. "This goes hand-in-hand with some of the lessons that
sports teach about selflessness and teamwork."
Cotton oversees an athletics program with student-athletes who
find worthy causes to support when they aren't studying or training.
Among them, the men's and women's golf teams are conducting a holiday
raffle this winter to benefit the Putnam County United Way. The volleyball team
tutors students at a local elementary school, and has raised thousands
of dollars in recent years to fight breast cancer. The football team
regularly volunteers at the Special Olympics Indiana Women's State Basketball
Tournament, and the women's swimming and diving team recently repainted
playground equipment at Hope's Way, a camp for children with special
needs. Yearly tournaments such as the Mike Rokicki Community Versus Cancer Challenge, hosted by the men's basketball team, have also become a staple of fundraising efforts.
"Our student-athletes reflect the commitment to service and philanthropy
that DePauw students, in general, display," Cotton says.
The DePauw women's basketball team is no exception, and by any measure
they have been exceptional. Under Head Coach Kris Huffman, the team has
11 NCAA tournament appearances and nine SCAC championships. In 2007
there was no better team in all of Division III women’s basketball. Even more impressive than their accomplishments on the court have
been their accomplishments off.
For the women’s basketball team, community outreach and fundraising are a
year-round activity. They host girls from the Little Sisters Program in
the locker room following games, and they pool money to buy Christmas
gifts for families in need. During Winter Term, the team holds three
player-run basketball clinics for children from pre-kindergarten through
eighth grade, the third of which is girls-only in celebration of
National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
For the past 14 summers, players, staff and friends of the program have run the Kid’s Best Friend Camp, started by assistant coach Mary Smith, to alleviate pet overpopulation in Putnam County. When she first arrived in Greencastle 16 years ago, Smith began finding homes for several stray dogs, including two puppies – Jake and Tanner – who she kept for herself. Both Jake and Tanner passed away in May 2010, and beginning next year, the camp will bear their names. To date, more than 1,000 area pets have been spayed or neutered with help from its proceeds.
Some of their philanthropy has been especially personal for the team.
After Amy Hasbrook ’00, a four-year member of the team, lost her life in
a house fire in 2002, Huffman promised the Hasbrook family that Amy
would never be forgotten. Since then, the team has organized the annual
Amy Hasbrook Memorial Tournament, which raises money for the People’s
Burn Foundation in Amy’s hometown of Indianapolis.
Altogether, the women’s basketball team has raised more than $100,000
for charity during Huffman’s 17-year tenure. Huffman deflects much of
the credit to Smith, who has taken charge of many of their efforts, but
Huffman deserves plenty herself. She says she recruits selfless players
to fit her system, which extends beyond the game of basketball.
“When our players graduate from DePauw,” Huffman says, “we hope they
depart with a number of academic and athletic successes. We strive for
that. Just as important to us, however, is that they leave as better
people.”
The DePauw field hockey team lost in overtime in the 2010 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship game, but they came out of the tournament with a victory that arguably meant much more.
Off the field, the conference's field hockey teams were also challenging each other during Stick it to Cancer, a fundraising campaign to benefit the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR). Without trophies or accolades, they still had plenty of reasons to compete.
"If we haven't been touched by cancer in our own lives, one of our friends most likely has," says Jenifer C. Snow, an assistant field hockey coach who played for the team until she graduated last year.
Led in their efforts by Katherine E. Broecker '13, Alyssa G. Collin '12, Taylor N. Helms '14 and Courtney E. Wood '12, the team sold ribbons and t-shirts, and even held a field hockey clinic for friends and fans. When the final donations were counted, the Lady Tigers had collected $3,400 – more than half of the nearly $5,000 raised by all the teams combined. For a team as competitive as they are, their win mattered.
"Losing is not something we like to do,” Snow says. "Raising more money than the other teams was always a goal of ours."
The field hockey team is a good example of how competition and compassion can fuel each other, but it isn't the only one.
“The coaches foster an environment that encourages service and giving back to the broader community," says S. Page Cotton, DePauw's director of athletics. "This goes hand-in-hand with some of the lessons that sports teach about selflessness and teamwork."
Cotton oversees an athletics program with student-athletes who frequently support worthy causes when they aren't studying or training. Among them, the men's and women's golf team are conducting a holiday raffle to benefit the Putnam County United Way. The volleyball team tutors students at a local elementary school, and has raised thousands of dollars in recent years to fight breast cancer. The football team volunteers at the Special Olympics Indiana Women's State Basketball Tournament, and the women's swimming and diving team recently repainted playground equipment at Hope's Way, a camp for children with special needs.
"Our student-athletes reflect the commitment to service and philanthropy that DePauw students, in general, display," Cotton says.
The DePauw women's basketball team is no exception, and by any measure they have been exceptional. Under Head Coach Kris Huffman, the team has 11 NCAA tournament appearances and nine SCAC championships. In 2007 there was no better team in all of Division III women’s basketball. The only thing more impressive than their accomplishments on the court has been their accomplishments off.
For the women’s basketball team, community outreach and fundraising are a year-round activity. They host girls from the Little Sisters Program in the locker room following games, and they pool money to buy Christmas gifts for families in need. During Winter Term, the team holds three player-run basketball clinics for children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the third of which is girls-only in celebration of National Girl and Women in Sports Day.
For the last 14 summers, players, staff and friends of the program have run the Kid’s Best Friend Camp, started by assistant coach Mary Smith, to alleviate pet overpopulation in Putnam County. When she first arrived in Greencastle 16 years ago, Smith began finding homes for several stray dogs, including two puppies – Jake and Tanner – who she kept for herself. Both Jake and Tanner passed away in May 2010, and beginning next year, the camp will bear their names. To date, more than 1,000 area pets have been spayed or neutered with help from its proceeds.
Some of their philanthropy has been especially personal for the team. After Amy Hasbrook ’00, a four-year member of the team, lost her life in a house fire in 2002, Huffman promised the Hasbrook family that Amy would never be forgotten. Since then, the team has organized the annual Amy Hasbrook Memorial Tournament, which raises money for the People’s Burn Foundation in Amy’s hometown of Indianapolis.
Altogether, the women’s basketball team has raised more than $100,000 for charity during Huffman’s 17-year tenure. Huffman deflects much of the credit to Smith, who has taken charge of many of their efforts, but Huffman deserves plenty herself. She says she recruits selfless players to fit her system of basketball, which extends beyond the game.
“When our players graduate from DePauw,” Huffman says, “we hope they depart with a number of academic and athletic successes. We strive for that. Just as important to us, however, is that they leave as better people.”