UIS athletes help others

Athletes at UIS find opportunities to help others all year long. During the winter, the women's volleyball team gives clinics for elementary and junior high volleyball players. Soccer team members work with youth players on improving skills and participate in a Habitat for Humanity project. The men's basketball team conducts instruction camps for Blessed Sacrament School, Denim and Diamonds benefits for local hospitals, and the Boys and Girls Club. Throughout the year, the women's basketball team works with Cox Children's Center, Big Brother/Big Sister, and the American Cancer Association's Think Pink program. The men's and women's tennis teams provide free tennis clinics for children not able to pay for classes, volunteer to serve in a food line, and serve as volunteers for The Crisis Center of Springfield. Golf team members conduct golf course appreciation projects at Piper Glen Golf Club during the fall, and the women's softball team gives hitting and pitching instruction for younger players and reads to pre-K classes in Pawnee. I'm very proud of all these athletes and their coaches who reach out to others in so many ways.