EMORY, Va. – Athletes at Emory & Henry College do more than shoot hoops, catch baseballs, run for touchdowns, attempt shots on goal, and serve volleyballs.  They also serve the community.  Three of Emory & Henry's 13 teams recently spent time providing service to local organizations in the community, which is an important component of the College's educational mission. 

The men's soccer team spent an afternoon working at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center.  Men's soccer student-athletes worked in the hot August sun weeding beds, cutting grass and cleaning out barn stalls.  Ken Croghan, Maintenance Director at the 4-H Center says, "The soccer team is an awesome working group with a superb attitude. They manage to get a lot done in a short amount of time. This really helps us here at the 4-H center because we have limited resources and staff and service groups coming allow us to get more things accomplished."

Women's soccer worked at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Glade Spring.  The student-athletes worked in three different groups painting a parking lot, moving lumber into a storage unit and then laying out railroad ties for a new parking area.  Head Coach Anna Baker described the experience, "Working with Glade ReStore was the best community service project that our team has been involved in since I've been here.   This experience helped our team expose leadership skills from the start of the season, and allowed them to really get to know each other."

Head Volleyball Coach Dan Clotfelter was impressed with the effort of the young women on his team.   Volleyball student-athletes worked at Abuse Alternatives which is an organization that provides support to women and children who have suffered domestic abuse.  The women cleaned inside the facility and also worked on the grounds. 

"I think it is great that the first thing we do as a team is the community service project," says Coach Clotfelter.  "Besides keeping with the College's commitment to community service, I think the selfless acts sets the tone for the type of team we want to be ... sacrificing for each other without concern about personal glory and accolades."

The College has been recognized nationally for its commitment to Community Service and service learning.   In 2010, the Corporation for National and Community Service named Emory & Henry College as a finalist for the 2010 President's Award, the highest federal recognition for commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. In 2009, Emory & Henry was one of six colleges or universities nationwide to win the award. Making Emory & Henry one of only two institutions to be honored as either a finalist or a winner in two consecutive years since the award was established in 2006.  In addition, Emory & Henry was ranked among the top five colleges and universities in the nation that are most committed to community service, according to a ranking by Newsweek Magazine. A second ranking, by USA Today, listed Emory & Henry among the top 20 institutions nationwide in providing service learning.

"Our student-athletes are fully committed to being contributing members of the academic and athletic community at the College, but also to the area in which they live," says Director of Athletics Myra Sims.  "I know that this place gives all our students a great foundation on which to build a life of community engagement."