Saints In the Community
One of the main objectives of the Siena Athletic Department has always been to remain actively involved in the Capital Region community. Siena's student-athletes and coaches make numerous appearances in local classrooms and hospitals and volunteer hundreds of hours to help out in numerous organizations. Additionally, the athletic department has donated thousands of dollars in game tickets, sports camps scholarships and sporting apparel and memorabilia to local charities.
This flyer will introduce you to Saints in the Community. From soup kitchens to elementary schools, Siena's invests its special resources each year to enrich the Capital Region community. If you feel your organization could benefit from a relationship with Siena Athletics, we encourage you to contact us today. To coordinate athlete or coaching visits, please fill out This Form. For a donation request form, please complete This Form.
Fidelis Care Adopt-A-School Program
The newly redesigned Adopt-A-School program is a community initiative intended to motivate area elementary students through interaction with Siena's student-athletes. Members of Siena's athletic teams interact with designated schools throughout the year. In addition to providing guidance and leadership to area youths, Siena's student athletes learn first hand the value of volunteering in the community. The elementary students can find that learning is fun as teachers incorporate Siena Athletics into class lesson plans (i.e. using statistics for math assignments, or writing the players for English).
Siena's student-athletes correspond throughout the year and ultimately visit the school. Each school is presented with an Adopt-A-School poster, identifying it as a current participant in the program. Additionally, Siena publications and prizes are provided for the school to give out to students who are deemed outstanding performers. Each school receives 50 tickets to a men's and women's basketball game, and the entire school is invited to come to campus for a day in the fall and spring to watch other Siena student-athletes in action.
Siena's current adopted schools season are:
Albany Public School #18
St. Gregory's School for Boys
Oneida Middle School
St. Casimir's Wednesdays
Siena Athletics began a partnership with St. Casimir's elementary school in 2001, providing an athletic facility for the Arbor Hill School which does not have a gym. Over the years, the program has flourished. Each Wednesday during the school year, students from St. Casimir visit the Marcelle Athletic Complex to play various recreational activities with Siena student-athletes.
The youngsters are coached by Siena's student-athletes in various athletic skills. Athletic Academic Advisor Sue Yund has overseen the implementation of the program for Siena. "Siena student-athletes have earned the reputation of balancing and achieving both academic and athletic success," Yund remarked. "Bringing the students of St. Casimir School to Siena gives them the rewarding experience of learning from and looking up to their role models right here on campus, and gives our students a chance to be involved in the community."
Cheryl Stienhorst, a second grade teacher at St. Casimir, feels the true value of the experience lies in its association with the College. "The kids love coming here and always are asking when we will come back, she says, "but to me the most important factor is that they are now familiar with the term college-it gives them something to shoot for."
The MAAC Gives Back
Siena's desire to get out into the community doesn't stop in the tri-city area. As part of the "MAAC Gives Back" program, the Saints visit the Western New York community at least once a year as well. Past visits have included the Roswell Park Cancer Institute pediatric unit and most recently, a visit to Winchester Elementary School in West Seneca, N.Y.
In its 12th year, the "MAAC Gives Back" program involves conference teams visiting local schools and hospitals and involves the children exchanging correspondence with many of the players and coaches from participating teams. The children follow the progress of the teams through newspaper articles and materials sent by the MAAC schools.
This year, the program will again take place in Buffalo and Albany. The program has been such a success that it has become an integral part of other MAAC Championships, including volleyball, baseball and softball.
NCAA Yes Clinics
Each year, many Siena student-athletes also participate in various YES (Youth Education through Sports) clinics, which traditionally take place during conference championships.
YES clinics are another vehicle for NCAA coaches and student-athletes to share in the NCAA's commitment to challenging young people to strive for higher levels of achievement in both athletics and academics. The clinics are the NCAA's premiere outreach to youth across the country.
Girls and boys ages 10-18 connect with top collegiate coaches and student-athletes at select NCAA championships to discuss the "FUN" in FUNdamentals of sport and life.
Each YES Clinic emphasizes hands on instruction in sports, conditioning and life skills at no cost to participants.
Youth learn and practice sports and mental skill development at the clinics. The coaches and student-athletes provide the children with fundamental tools they need to practice their sport and teach them the elements of sports, such as discipline, confidence and commitment in ways that will enable them to apply what they learn to an athletics setting or to other areas of their lives. Parents are also invited to the clinics to discuss key issues such as nutrition, sportsmanship, college recruiting, compliance, eligibility and injury prevention with YES clinic staff.
For more information on yes clinics coming to the area, visit the YES Clinic official website : www.yesclinics.org
National Student-Athlete Day
National Student Athlete Day (NSAD) is America's day to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics, while having made significant contributions to the community. The Siena Athletic Department celebrates NASD annually, recognizing the "student" in student-athlete. NSAD recognizes the accomplishments of student-athletes nationwide who excel in the classroom, on the playing fields and in their communities. Siena is looking to expand this year's program to recognize great achievements by area student-athletes.
Last year, 137 Siena student-athletes were honored on National Student Athlete Day for their service to the community and excellence in the classroom.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Each year, Siena student-athletes also participate in National Girls and Women in Sports Day, recognizing outstanding accomplishments by young female athletes in the Capital Region.
The National Girls and Women in Sports Coalition sponsor the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The U.S. Congress chartered the Day in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness participation for all girls and women.
Siena athletics hosts an essay writing contest in conjunction with the event where young girls are given the opportunity to write about the importance of sports in their lives. The winning essay writer receives a full scholarship to a summer sports camp of their choice.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car presented a motivational slide show to honor girls and women in sports this past year, and former Siena female student-athletes shared their remarks. All of Siena's female student athletes, representing 11 sports, are recognized at the event, which is traditionally centered around a women's basketball game.
If you know of an athlete or team in the area, that is deserving of special recognition at either National Student-Athlete Day of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, please contact Katelyn Dooley in the Siena Athletic department at kdooley@siena.edu or 518-782-6769
The Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation and 15-Love
The Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation has successfully completed 13 years of programming in the Capital Region, and Siena's student athletes have volunteered their time with the agency for many of those years.
CRYTF was founded to provide the community-based aegis under which the National 15-Love Program could be developed and managed. The late Arthur Ashe was instrumental in helping found the 15-Love Program. His philosophy and CRYTF's is to "use tennis to teach the game of life."
Over the years, the program has evolved on a year round basis, impacting more than 10,000 youth and their families. 15-Love participants receive free, high quality tennis lessons and important life lessons conducted in off-court activities including: an emphasis upon education, good health, family preservation, multi-cultural relationships, and good sportsmanship.
Siena tennis players currently serve as site directors (the highest title awarded) for the programs at Lincoln and Prospect Parks in Albany. Women's player Sugam Langer and men's tennis player Nino Alivodic have been involved with the program for nearly 10 years.
