College student-athletes mentor middle school students
Student-athletes at local colleges are sharing time with children as role models and mentors. The women’s basketball team at the College of Charleston has taken girls at Rivers Middle School under their wings – or sky hooks – for fellowship and fun. Not to be left out, boys at Rivers Middle will soon enjoy visits from members of the Charleston Southern University football team. The collaboration was arranged through the athletic departments at both colleges by Communities In Schools Student Support Specialists Chris Rollison and Karen Barbier. Communities In Schools is a nonprofit dropout prevention agency whose mission to keep children in school through connecting the best community resources with the needs of students, their families and schools. In this case, the best resources are area student-athletes. After participating in a Communities In Schools orientation on communication techniques, the Cougar basketball squad visited Rivers Middle School on two occasion. In addition, on December 3 the team welcomed the girls from Rivers to the John Kresse Arena as guests for their 77-69 victory over Georgia Southern. During the game, the middle-schoolers served as ball girls for the team and sat behind the bench as "V.I.P.’s." Afterwards, the Cougars took a team photo with the girls and presented them autographed shirts. College of Charleston Assistant Coach Michelle Ray has coordinated the gatherings with Rollison and Barbier, and says involvement with the students "has allowed our players to take on the role of leaders, something some of them have never had the opportunity to do before." Ray adds, "The team and the girls have bonded like sisters from our first visit, and it emphasizes to our players that as College of Charleston athletes people in the community look up to them." Fresh from the Big South Conference championship, Charleston Southern Buccaneer football players will start working with boys at Rivers Middle in January. A former CSU football player, Rollison contacted Assistant Head Coach Steve Barrows to pursue CSU involvement. Rollison is excited about the prospect of the footballers mentoring the middle school boys he serves: "My hope has been that these athletes can expose our students to different types of careers and ambitions that they are working to achieve," he says. Rivers Middle School is home to the Charleston County School District’s Middle Grades Accelerated Program which aims to bring students who have experienced academic difficulty to age- and grade-level proficiency. Every other week the basketball team visits the school. Barbier praises the impact on her students since the team has become involved. "The girls get to see young women strive for excellence," Barbier observes, and the Cougars "help the kids stay focused on school and think about their career choices." Coach Ray from the College of Charleston echoes Barbier when adding, "Some of our players came from very tough home lives, and they have earned full scholarships. Our players found the girls ready to open up as soon as we met them." One of Barbier’s students, 14-year-old Shandele Deveaux, might be the best spokesperson for the experience. "I like the team to come over here because I love to meet new people," Deveaux says, adding with a broad smile, "and because I love to meet stars."