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Women's Soccer:
Anteaters In the Community
The UCI Women's Soccer team is committed to contributing to our local and global community through our sport. Over the last year, the players and coaches have contributed a great deal of time, support and equipment to several organizations. Most recently the players decided to clear out their closets and donate any extra uniforms, warm-ups, cleats, and soccer equipment to Sports Gift Inc. The effort raised a total of 269 items which will be distributed to underprivileged children throughout the world. In July, we were contacted by a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan who was requesting donations of soccer balls to drop for children in Afghan villages. His mission is to build better relationships with the local populations with whom he has no opportunity to interact face to face. His website has some remarkable images and videos of "Operation Soccer Chopper" and we were pleased to be able to make a contribution. While we support international efforts we also support organizations closer to home. Canyon Acres is a highly unique, one-of-a-kind place in Southern California with the ability, desire and professional expertise to treat severely abused, neglected and emotionally troubled young children. We have donated soccer equipment to these children also. Along with our Men's Soccer program we have also supported the Soccer for Hope organization. This is an organization that aims to bring hope to children with life threatening illnesses through financial support, while fostering educational benefits and awareness in the local soccer community. We have helped coach within their soccer camps. The team have also directed a number of free soccer clinics for local schools and AYSO organizations and as they help pass on their experiences and knowledge we are also seeing some potential future assistant coaches develop! In the spring assistant coach Justin Neerhof and a group of our players worked with groups of special education children as part of a Junior League project called "Kids in the Kitchen." The girls had an awesome time and helped to raise awareness of what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle.
Another healthy lifestyle project we have contributed to is the "Health Study." This is a UCI Medical School research study into childhood diabetes. We have contributed our time to the administrative support of the study and to running clinics to raise awareness of the study and inspire children to participate in the study. The Newport Sports Museum welcome groups of school children and as a part of their visit our staff and players have spoken on topics relating to achieving success in sports and how those skills can apply in every area of our lives. The UCI Student Athlete Advisory Committee has a project called the Holiday Helping Hands Program in which money is collected and gifts purchased from under-privileged families' wish lists. The team made a generous donation and made a difference in one family's Christmas. Later this year our team is planning on supporting the Orange County Race for the Cure. A 5km run to raise money and awareness of breast cancer. Use the following links to learn more about the organizations we have supported: Sports Gift Inc.
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