April 26, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. - The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted a "field day" for local fourth and fifth grades from James Monroe and W.H. Taylor elementary schools on Wednesday. The community service event brought nearly 200 students onto campus to learn and participate in various sports that the student-athletes play here at Old Dominion University.
The kids from James Monroe Elementary received introductions to a variety of new sports such as field hockey, golf, lacrosse, and sailing, while also learning new technique in sports such as basketball, soccer and football.
There was 15 stations set-up on the various surfaces. The youth rotated to different stations every 15 minutes. At each of the stops ODU student-athletes taught the kids the basics of their sports, put them through various drills and talked to them about the game.
"I think every year it gets bigger and better. I think the kids enjoy it and the student-athletes enjoy it just as much," said redshirt junior Mairi Buchan, of the women's basketball team and vice president of SAAC. "It's a great chance for the kids to try out sports they wouldn't usually try like sailing and rowing. It's a great opportunity to coach future Monarchs."
At the conclusion of the day, there was an autograph sessions that allowed the student-athletes to sign the kids' SAAC Field Day t-shirts.