CHARLESTON, S.C. ? In addition to performing up to their abilities on the field, the College of Charleston softball program has made it a habit to perform even greater acts in the surrounding Charleston community.
This fall, the Cougars have been involved with four distinct events that have made a strong impact on the local community. These have ranged from youth coaching and high school clinics to working with the Department of Social Services and visiting children at the Medical University of South Carolina.
From September 2-October 9, the entire team coached in the Mt. Pleasant Instructional League, providing 8-13 year old girls the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and experience of Division I players. The team worked with approximately 40 players on Tuesday and Thursday nights, covering the fundamentals and playing games to reinforce what the girls had learned. At the end of the six weeks, the girls were playing full games and were able to see just how much progress they had made. This was the third straight year that the program has been in place under the leadership of CofC head coach Shelly Hoerner.
Charleston continued to have an impact on the community when the program was approached by nearby Porter-Gaud High School about hosting a softball skills clinic. After being unable to field a team in 2008, the Cyclones wanted to generate interest for the 2009 season and the Cougars did so admirably. Seventeen girls took part in a pair of instructional days in which Charleston players and coaches taught them the fundamentals of the game. An entire day each was dedicated to offense and defense and the girls were taken through practices that can be used throughout their upcoming 2009 season.
The Cougars first two endeavors aided the softball aspect of the program’s community outreach. The last two, and perhaps the two most important this year, dealt more so with the human side of the equation as the College of Charleston players and coaches made a genuine difference in the lives of others during the holiday season.
In the weeks before Thanksgiving, members of the program worked with Helping and Lending Outreach (HALOS) to touch the lives of a single mother with five children in the Charleston area. HALOS put the team in touch with the local office of the Department of Social Services in order to donate meals to the family.
The players and coaches compiled a basket weighing over 50 pounds that was estimated to provide six full meals for the family. It also contained basic items such as flour, oil, sugar, drink mixes and snack foods like crackers and cereal as well as a gift card to Wal-Mart for any additional items. The basket was delivered to DSS the week of Thanksgiving so that the family had it in time for the holidays. If you are interested in giving like the College of Charleston softball team did or finding out more information, HALOS can be contacted at www.charlestonhalos.org.
The program’s most recent act touched the lives of a number of local children as team members visited the Children’s Hospital of the Medical University of South Carolina on December 12. The team brought stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons to pass out and spent a significant amount of time with the kids.
“The team visiting the children at MUSC was unbelievable” said head coach Shelly Hoerner. “It was a rare opportunity for our team to interact with the children and we feel very fortunate to spend time with them. The spirits of the children at MUSC lift you up and make you want to work that much harder at what you do every day”.
Among their activities, players and coaches spent two hours in the family play area and visited with children in their rooms who were less mobile or unable to be in the area. Freshman outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) was able to visit with a Spanish speaking family and provide them the company of someone from a similar cultural background. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) made a very special connection of her own. From the time that she entered the play area, a little girl in pink took an immediate liking to her and followed her throughout her time in the area. A “nurse station” is included in the family play area and the little girl took full advantage of it as she made both Shifflett and her new friend, a stuffed penguin given to her by the players, her patients.
“You would never know after just two hours that young kids would have such a major impact on us” said sophomore utility player Katie Nutaitus (Vienna, Va.). Junior outfielder Katie Pesature (Brewster, N.Y.) echoed her teammate’s sentiments, saying that “You could see how excited they were to interact with older girls and get to play with us. It was awesome and we’d love to do it again”.
The College of Charleston softball program has been involved in a number of community activities over the years but visiting the Children’s Hospital at MUSC not only had a lasting impact on the children, but the entire softball program as well.
“Our team is very close and this particular event brought everyone together in a new way” added Hoerner. “Through all of our events, we are able to truly appreciate how unique everyone is and how important our differences are to making our team stronger. We know that giving back to the community is a large part of what will continue to make us successful on and off the softball field."