Baseball Wins in the Community

WINCHESTER, Va. - The Shenandoah University baseball team, fresh off its South Region championship last spring, was recently honored for its service to the community as well.

On February 16, the Frederick County School Board presented Head Coach Kevin Anderson and his squad with a Special Accommodations Award for its involvement in community services.

The award is simply recognition of years of work that Anderson and his team have given to the Winchester/Frederick County community.

Every Monday at Daniel Morgan Middle School, the players mentor 5^th and 6^th graders.  Whether it's helping a student with homework or just hanging out with them, the players are there for students.

On November 10, 2009, the baseball team read to the entire nine classes of kindergarten students at W. W. Robinson Elementary School.

The very next day the team led a school assembly at Orchard View Elementary focusing on bullying and earning respect in the schools.  The players also assisted the students how to respect not only others, but themselves.  The Hornets baseball team has also performed this assembly at Greenwood Mill, Red Bud Run, and Bass Hoover elementary schools.

All of this started because Anderson wanted to give back to the community.  Focusing on children, Anderson started out by partnering with Valley Health System and Winchester Sportsplex to target elementary school students with weight issues.  The 10-week program provided the children with physicals and transportation to the Sportsplex and Valley Health.  Anderson saw the impact he and others had on these children and knew that he wanted to branch out and get his team involved.

"I do these services because it is my duty to give back," Anderson said.  "It's a win-win situation for both.  It is gratifying and an experience for myself and my players.  When my players leave Shenandoah, I hope they will continue to help the community."

Junior Greg Van Sickler, a 2009 ABCA All-America, has joined Anderson in the service.  "It's just gratifying to know we really make a difference in these young children's lives," Van Sickler said.  "They really look up to people my age because I'm not a parent or teacher and I can relate a little more to what they experience in and out of school."  Van Sickler, a graduate of nearby James Wood High School, has been involved in mentoring elementary students since late high school.

"This community service has allowed me to feel like a role model to the kids because I know that being from Winchester, I would have liked to have had Shenandoah baseball players come in to my classes and read and talk to us," senior Kyle Smallwood stated. 

The team rounded out its service this year by providing a free clinic for the Summit Point W. Va. Little League All-Stars.  They orchestrated a practice for these young baseball players to encourage them to keep on playing and give them some pointers to help their game.

Finally, the team organized a tractor trailer full of Rubbermaid products that were sold to support the United Way Campaign.  This campaign creates opportunities for a better life for all and focuses on education, income and health.