Student athletes from 含羞草传媒 University are teaching lessons of the game to the next generation.
Through a partnership with The Malone Center, a nonprofit that provides programs for underserved youth in the Lincoln community, members of 含羞草传媒鈥檚 baseball and softball teams put on four clinics this winter. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade were taught to hit, pitch, and field ground balls and pop flies.
鈥淲hen I interacted with them, I saw the light in their eyes,鈥 says Addi Duranski (鈥25), a left fielder on the softball team. 鈥It seemed like it meant the world.鈥
鈥淎s college students, we may not realize the impression we leave on some of these kids,鈥 says the biology major and psychology and chemistry double minor from Columbus, Neb. 鈥淏eing a role model and having connections with them hopefully inspires them to take up college athletics one day.鈥
Jason English (鈥24), a first baseman from Phoenix, Ariz., says similar programs helped inspire him to become a baseball player. 鈥淚 learned a love for the sport. Programs like this help introduce kids to something they may never have had the chance to experience.鈥
His passion for working with kids is why he鈥檚 studying to be a teacher and coach. 鈥淚'm a mixed American. Hopefully it shows them you can be a minority and progress through high school, into college and through life. I think that's done a lot for them.鈥
English says the biggest lesson might not even be about baseball. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about impacting others. It's something I want to do for the rest of my life. Recognizing that everybody starts somewhere and knowing that it's okay to grow at your own pace. I love seeing this. It just fulfills me.鈥