Saluki women’s basketball gives back to southern Illinois community
07/26/2018 | 5:00:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois women's basketball team has kept busy this summer with the help of several prominent charitable organizations within the southern Illinois community.
In addition to taking summer school classes and completing challenging off-season workouts, the Salukis have made it a point to get out and give back to the community this summer. Southern has already volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale and assisted with the NubAbility Sports Camp in DuQuion, Ill. They've also had representation at SIU's Multiple Sclerosis Walk and have been collecting plastic bottle tops to help create a new bench for the Hickory Ridge Golf Course in conjunction with an initiative co-sponsored by the Carbondale Lions Club, the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale and the Carbondale Park District.
Most recently, the Salukis were part of a department-wide initiative to volunteer at the NubAbility Sports Camp in DuQuion, Ill. Southern's football, volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams, among others, donated their time on Saturday, July 21 to help teach limb-different youths about their respective sports.
Senior Ashley Hummel, a secondary education major at SIU and an aspiring coach, was tasked with coming up with the schedule for her team's segment.
"Originally I made the schedule not knowing I would be working the NubAbility camp," Hummel said. "I made the schedule like I would for the Saluki Basketball Camp. The first thing that (NubAbility Coach) Zach Hodskins told us was to do everything we normally would do."
With close to 50 campers, ages ranging from 4-16 years old, Hummel and her teammates divided the group up and worked on the fundamentals- shooting form, dribbling, passing and eventually played 5-on-5.
"It was so much fun," Hummel said of working the NubAbility camp. "I was so happy that we were able to help the campers develop their basketball skills. I was also happy that the campers enjoyed what they were doing and our team was really involved with what we were doing. Our players were running in the relay races with the campers. When you have players interacting with the kids and going through the drills with them, thats what makes it so special."
Earlier this summer, Southern took two seperate groups to help Habitat for Humanity build a house. The Salukis reported to 507 Carico Street in Carbondale, Ill. and were given various tasks by the site coordinator that ranged from sorting wood to putting in air vents throughout the house.
"I had never done that type of work and I didn't think I would like it, but going there with my teammates was a lot of fun," junior guard Brittney Patrick said. "Even with the bugs and the heat, it was a lot of fun knowing that we did it as a team for the community."
Junior forward Lauren Hartman, who along with Gabby Walker got on the roof of the house to help lay tarp down for shingling, expressed a similar sentiment about giving back to the southern Illinois community as a team.
"It was really neat because you're with your team, so you're bonding in that sense, but you are also seeing another aspect of the community," Hartman said. "It makes you more grateful for what you have."
Patrick and Hartman have been two of Southern's most active volunteers. Patrick has been to all four community service events while Hartman has been to three.
"What I enjoy most about doing community service projects is that, like basketball, it is never about just one person," Patrick said. "It is about coming together as a whole and it involves everyone in the community. Doing these projects helps with our team dynamic and brings us closer."
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