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Health & Fitness

Community Service in the Northville High School Athletic Program

Northville High School athletic teams and student-athletes are very involved in giving back to their community.

This blog comes from Bryan Masi, Athletic Director for Northville Public Schools.

Some believe that educational athletics provides one of the best classroom opportunities for students. In educational athletics participants learn dedication, team work, strategy, sportsmanship, time management and so much more. Through these learning experiences students are preparing to be successful in life.

While there are many life lessons students learn on the playing field perhaps there is no greater lesson that can be taught than the importance of giving back to the community. With an emphasis on voluntarism and advocacy for charitable causes, there is no better group then a high school athletic team in establishing a commitment to community service.

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The Northville Athletic Department, teams, coaches and student-athletes made a commitment four years ago to build community service activities into each teams yearly calendar. Many coaches have incorporated this important service learning component into their weekly or yearly activity plan. Throughout the years coaches and student-athletes have developed and conducted a wide range of activities. While there is no limit to what teams create for a community service project the following categories have emerged: 

  1. Special causes that are either short or long term.
  2. Projects created to help the less-fortunate.
  3. Projects that address current or emergency situations.
  4. Projects that provide or teach the youth within the community to be involved.

Coaches and student-athletes within the Northville Athletic community have taken on a lead role in supporting and coordinating community service projects that have had an impact on many people not only in the Northville community but throughout the world.

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A Call for a Cause

There have been many worthy causes the Northville athletic teams have adopted over the past few years. Most times the relationship that has been created between a given team and the cause for which it commits to is due to a personal connection. Sometimes it can come from the most unlikely request.

In 2007, Walled Lake Central assistant football coach Jeff Penrod presented “Coaches Du Cure” to a group of Kensington Lakes Athletic Association (KLAA) head football coaches. Coach Penrod’s son was recently diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He asked that the KLAA be part of the Coaches De Cure fundraiser during a certain week of the season so that we could raise money and bring awareness to this disease. Northville along with all 23 football teams in the KLAA continue to highlight this cause during one game of the season. Proudly the KLAA has raised over $20,000 for Duchene Muscular Dystrophy over the past few years.

The lessons of this project go far beyond community service. The football players have also learned the lesson of sportsmanship. They learn they can compete hard against each other but also come together to work towards a common cause.

For the past four years Northville baseball coaches John Kostrewsa and Bill Flohr created an “”. The day was established to honor our US military veterans during a Saturday double header at . This community service project . The activities at Armed Forces Day include:

  • Honoring, announcing and having veterans throw out the first pitch.
  • Collecting food and goods to be sent to current active soldiers over seas.
  • Events for the youth including face painting and carnival games.
  • A display of military equipment.

Northville girls soccer coach Eric Brucker wanted to establish an alumni group of former Northville High School players and create a community service project for his current team. He combined both ideas in creating an annual alumni soccer game in conjunction with raising money for a cause. In its inaugural year of 2011 more then 30 former Mustang players returned to take part in the game. In addition, current players sold tickets, t-shirts and held raffles to raise money for the American Breast Cancer Association. In future years portions of the proceeds from this event will go toward a new scholarship fund established on behalf of former Mustang girls soccer coach Doug Lyons. The Doug Lyons memorial scholarship will be given to one worthy Northville soccer player annually.

The Todd Schoenheide Scholarship fund was established shortly after the sudden death of Northville student and athlete Todd Schoenheide. This scholarship is awarded to one Northville High School student who is a member of the Northville football, wrestling or community Boy Scout troop. As part of the scholarship the student awarded must have a full background of community service help. Qualities that Todd himself believed and participated in.

A majority of the money for this scholarship is raised through the efforts of the Northville High School wrestling team. The wrestling team hosts the annual on the first Saturday in December. The student-athletes donate the gate receipts, sell concessions and raffle tickets to provide money for this worthy cause.

Assisting the Needy

The is an all-volunteer organization founded in 1983 by a group of concerned citizens to benefit the needy of our community. The primary purpose is to provide food to those in need. Being located right in the heart of Northville it was no wonder many of the Northville High School athletic teams reach out to help this cause.

The student-athletes and coaches have come up with many creative ways to collect food for the Northville Civic Concern. One common project many of our teams will participate in is a food drive for admission to the games. Teams will set up one or two nights that will ask spectators to bring a canned food item as part of their admission fee. The teams that have participated in this are: cheerleading, girls and boys swimming and basketball.

In 2012 the Northville Boys and Girls bowling teams took the Civic Concern food drive one step further. Northville Bowling Coach, Jerry Harris created “Lock-in for Civic Concern”. One weekend in February the bowling team held a bowl-a-thon at Novi Bowling Lanes. The bowl-a-thon went through the night as bowlers collected funds based on their scores. When the long weekend ended the Northville Bowling donated over $1,500 for Civic Concern.

Helping the Youth

In addition to projects designed to enrich the life of the community or to raise money for a cause it is important to reach out to our youth. The lessons of community service go beyond the walls of the high school athletic teams. Through the lessons of service our student-athletes help to instill the lessons of giving to our youth in the community.

Many of our athletic teams host youth camps or organize youth community clubs to provide opportunities for the children in Northville. Some of the teams involved include: football, baseball, softball, tennis, hockey, lacrosse, bowling, cheerleading, wrestling and volleyball. These camps and clubs not only teach our young students about the sport but they provide a service in the community to keep kids active. Our student-athletes learn the values of teaching and being a role model as they lead many of the lessons and activities during these camps.

While student-athletes in Northville serve our youth through these camps and clubs a couple of teams began to offer these opportunities to a different clientele. Over the past few years our basketball players have held clinics with physically disabled students at Cooke School in Northville. A couple times a year players from the boys and girls basketball teams travel to the school and work with students on skills associated with basketball. It has become a day that not only the students of Cooke look forward to but leaves a lasting impression on our student-athletes.

In this same spirit of giving the Northville wrestling team began helping the “Miracle League” softball program. The “Miracle League” was formed to provide physically disabled and wheelchair bound children the opportunity to play softball. Through the softball season a handful of Northville wrestlers volunteered there time to help players run the bases, hit the ball or just to be there to cheer them on. It was truly a great experience for all involved.

The Importance of Community Service

For the student-athletes involved in community service projects they learn the importance of giving back to their community and their sense of civic duty is heightened. In many cases we find student-athletes continue these community works long after their athletic days are over.

“We believe it sends a great message when our student-athletes get involved in the community. It is important our student-athletes understand they are leaders and must set an example for others to follow” said Bryan Masi, Northville Athletic Director.

Student-athletes not only gain a sense of helping but, by being involved in these projects, gain the experience and leadership skills needed to be successful in life.

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