Student athletes learn and grow in their communities

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

Getting off the campus and into the community is proving to be a valuable experience for student athletes at UOIT.

Throughout the year, UOIT Ridgebacks are involved in a number of community organizations through their varsity athletic teams, with events organized to benefit the communities both inside and outside the campus bubble.

For Scott Barker, the university’s director of athletics, the events are beneficial in a number of ways, both for the students and the community at large.

“It brings growth to them as students to understand there’s a world outside their university experience and a community that is functioning and operating outside of their university community,” Barker says. “I think the benefit to that is it more or less grows the reputation of the university and the Ridgebacks brand with those people who may not otherwise know what’s going on.”

And there’s been a lot going on.

UOIT varsity teams ran a “Think Pink” campaign in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation at home games throughout the month of October, garnering approximately $2,000 for the cause. During the holidays, the women’s field lacrosse team put forward a fundraising effort to support The Refuge Youth Outreach Centre.

Off campus, UOIT student athletes have been making weekly trips to Grandview Children’s Centre to swim, play sports and generally have fun with the special needs children who use the centre’s services.

“Students love doing it,” Barker says. “Especially the ones that get to go out and be involved with the kids in the community. I think it really provides them with a sense of accomplishment and an early sense that they’re really doing something meaningful for someone else.”

On top of the visits to Grandview, UOIT student athletes with the women’s hockey team hosted their annual school day game. More than 400 elementary school students came out to watch the Ridgebacks play and also got the opportunity to hear from the athletes about their experience, along with learning the importance of healthy living and education.

Athletes also assist with minor league sport practices throughout the Durham Region and coming up in March, soccer teams will be fundraising for Their Opportunity  in the fifth annual Charity Cup.

“It’s not only an opportunity for the student athletes to grow as citizen leaders, it’s an opportunity for them to really put something back into the community that they got to experience when they were younger,” Barker says. “The student athletes are role models and leaders to many, not only kids in the community, but the community at large, and many of these student athletes, as kids themselves, had role models and looked up to these kind of figures growing up and they perhaps got them involved in these sports when they were young.”

For more information in UOIT varsity athletics, visit www.uoitridgebacks.com.