While balancing academic work with the demands of participating in varsity athletics, members of Hamilton's women's basketball team have found time to start a reading program for the students at Clinton Elementary School.
The program started when Hamilton's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) encouraged all sports teams to get involved in the community by supervising and playing with young Clinton students during their recess period. The women's basketball team volunteered in October and enjoyed being around the children so much that they wanted to become more involved in the elementary school. During the fall and again throughout the month of January, team members have gone to the elementary school in pairs and read to the children at the beginning of their library period.
"We all really enjoy reading to the kids," said Sarah Schrader '09, the basketball team's SAAC representative. "It's nice to get off campus and do something for the community. The kids really like the stories we read, and they are good listeners."
"The children truly enjoy having the Hamilton basketball players come to our school and read to them," said Clinton librarian Sheila Famolaro. "It's always exciting to see the interaction between them because the players both read books and carry on conversations."
"I think the kids like it because it's nice for them to hear some new voices," added Schrader. "It's always fun for us to be around kids and a good feeling knowing we are role models."
Famolaro hopes the student-athletes will continue the reading program. "I feel that we at Clinton School are fortunate to have such a wonderful "bridge" to Hamilton College," she said. "The women's basketball team not only has a challenging academic and athletic schedule, but they still manage to find time to spend reading to our students, and we appreciate it."
-- by Molly Kane '09
The program started when Hamilton's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) encouraged all sports teams to get involved in the community by supervising and playing with young Clinton students during their recess period. The women's basketball team volunteered in October and enjoyed being around the children so much that they wanted to become more involved in the elementary school. During the fall and again throughout the month of January, team members have gone to the elementary school in pairs and read to the children at the beginning of their library period.
"We all really enjoy reading to the kids," said Sarah Schrader '09, the basketball team's SAAC representative. "It's nice to get off campus and do something for the community. The kids really like the stories we read, and they are good listeners."
"The children truly enjoy having the Hamilton basketball players come to our school and read to them," said Clinton librarian Sheila Famolaro. "It's always exciting to see the interaction between them because the players both read books and carry on conversations."
"I think the kids like it because it's nice for them to hear some new voices," added Schrader. "It's always fun for us to be around kids and a good feeling knowing we are role models."
Famolaro hopes the student-athletes will continue the reading program. "I feel that we at Clinton School are fortunate to have such a wonderful "bridge" to Hamilton College," she said. "The women's basketball team not only has a challenging academic and athletic schedule, but they still manage to find time to spend reading to our students, and we appreciate it."
-- by Molly Kane '09
