University of Minnesota Athletics
Athletes Volunteer at Gopher Alum's School
5/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
University of Minnesota student-athletes took a trip on the M.A.G.I.C. (Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community) bus to Palmer Lake Elementary School, where Gopher football alum Tommy Watson serves as the school’s principal. For two days, the Gopher athletes participated in Palmer’s field days, helping children in first and third grade (5/26) and fourth, fifth and sixth grade (5/27).
Soccer’s Sara Clancy, Kylie Kallman and Katie Shelander and track & field Meghan Mason and Caitlyn Dongoske participated in the event on Wednesday and assisted with the first and third graders. There were 12 stations, five of which were supported by Gopher student athletes. The elementary students were to go to each station, complete the activity and then sign in with the student athletes and move onto the next station before the end of the session.
Clancy was in charge of the Super 8. She demonstrated taking a soccer ball around the cones and back for her event. Shelander was in charge of the three-chute basketball, while Dongoske and Kallman helped with the tug of war. Kallman later went and assisted with the hurdles and competed against some of the students throughout the exercise. Mason assisted with the three-legged race and the jump rope, while CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinator Anissa Lightner assisted with the long jump.
Along with Gopher athletes assisting, Gopher football alum Roy Artis (1977-80) and Gopher football supporter Doug Addison came out to help Watson and Palmer Lake as they stationed the wooden ski race. Other activities included home run derby, circle relay, shuttle run and softball throw.
Watson was a former Gopher football running back from 1992-96 and was coached by Jim Wacker. He graduated in 1997 with a B.S. degree and has been the principal at Palmer Lake for three years. The elementary school has an enrollment of 700 students in Brooklyn Park, Minn., with 75 percent students of color. Growing up in the rough neighborhood of Five Points, in Denver, Watson uses his past experiences to help his students and the surrounding neighborhood. Once a month, Watson and M.A.G.I.C. have teamed together to have current student athletes within the classrooms. The Gopher athletes have participated in field days and reading to Palmer students. Earlier this year, the entire wrestling team spoke with students as well.
M.A.G.I.C. has done over 170 outreach events since September 2009 and has accumulated over 7,000 hours of service within the Twin Cities community. All 25 Gopher teams and over 575 of its 700 student athletes at the University of Minnesota have volunteered through M.A.G.I.C. this year alone.
Soccer’s Sara Clancy, Kylie Kallman and Katie Shelander and track & field Meghan Mason and Caitlyn Dongoske participated in the event on Wednesday and assisted with the first and third graders. There were 12 stations, five of which were supported by Gopher student athletes. The elementary students were to go to each station, complete the activity and then sign in with the student athletes and move onto the next station before the end of the session.
Clancy was in charge of the Super 8. She demonstrated taking a soccer ball around the cones and back for her event. Shelander was in charge of the three-chute basketball, while Dongoske and Kallman helped with the tug of war. Kallman later went and assisted with the hurdles and competed against some of the students throughout the exercise. Mason assisted with the three-legged race and the jump rope, while CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinator Anissa Lightner assisted with the long jump.
Along with Gopher athletes assisting, Gopher football alum Roy Artis (1977-80) and Gopher football supporter Doug Addison came out to help Watson and Palmer Lake as they stationed the wooden ski race. Other activities included home run derby, circle relay, shuttle run and softball throw.
Watson was a former Gopher football running back from 1992-96 and was coached by Jim Wacker. He graduated in 1997 with a B.S. degree and has been the principal at Palmer Lake for three years. The elementary school has an enrollment of 700 students in Brooklyn Park, Minn., with 75 percent students of color. Growing up in the rough neighborhood of Five Points, in Denver, Watson uses his past experiences to help his students and the surrounding neighborhood. Once a month, Watson and M.A.G.I.C. have teamed together to have current student athletes within the classrooms. The Gopher athletes have participated in field days and reading to Palmer students. Earlier this year, the entire wrestling team spoke with students as well.
M.A.G.I.C. has done over 170 outreach events since September 2009 and has accumulated over 7,000 hours of service within the Twin Cities community. All 25 Gopher teams and over 575 of its 700 student athletes at the University of Minnesota have volunteered through M.A.G.I.C. this year alone.
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