RICHMOND, Ind. — Community service has always been important to
Earlham College student-athletes and this fall was no different as four teams were part of projects before beginning practices.
Earlham Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jocelyn Keller organized the Kick Like A Girl event with the Wayne County Soccer Association.
Keller’s squad as well as the Earlham men’s team participated in the event at
Richmond High School that featured a viewing of the award-winning movie Kick Like A Girl.
“It's the first time we've collaborated to spread the soccer buzz in the
Richmond community and it was well received by all,” Keller said. “In past years, Earlham men's and women's soccer teams hosted the El Rodeo Raven/Quaker Classic Tournament the first weekend in September, but this year El Rodeo helped us to promote soccer in a different way.”
“On the day, youth could register for
Wayne County soccer and get hands on experience with collegiate players,” Keller added. “The Kick Like A Girl documentary was and is inspiring for all ages and the clinic following was a success. We value the Earlham Athletics connection with the
Richmond community and wish for the passion of the game to spread.”
Pablo Hernandez-Romero was one of the men’s players to be involved. "It's always nice to see the
Richmond community support our soccer teams,” he said. “So I'm very happy that we were able to repay the favor by showing the
Richmond youth how fun soccer can be. I had a lot of fun with the kids and hopefully, they will stick with soccer for a while."
Field Hockey and Volleyball
Earlham’s field hockey and volleyball teams also volunteered to aid to organizations. “Our teams regularly look for ways to give back to the community in which they live,” Earlham Director of Athletics Frank Carr said. “These are examples again of how service is a fundamental part of who we are as a department and what we feel important and of that, I'm very proud.”
The field hockey team worked at Girls Inc. in
Richmond. “We have volunteered at Girls Inc. for several years,” Earlham Head Field Hockey coach Jill Butcher said. “We enjoy doing what we can to be role models for the young girls that attend the after school program. Empowering women, no matter what age is important in today's society.”
The volleyball squad enjoyed a day with Habitat for Humanity. “This is a great group for our student-athletes to get involved with and they always have fun,” Earlham Head Volleyball Coach Natalie Alred said. “It’s a wonderful experience and the best part for our players is that no experience is required.”
Check out the photo galleries from the events:
Soccer
Field Hockey
Volleyball