The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- March 15, 1999

'Penn Pals' help student-athletes celebrate at Penn State

With a CHAMPS for Life Rally, a "Penn Pal" Carnival and a Shadow Program, National Student-Athlete Day at Pennsylvania State University is a time to highlight several programs that run throughout the year.

The CHAMPS for Life Rally, which Penn State held in 1997 and plans to do again this year, was a chance for elementary and junior-high students to hear presentations from present and former student-athletes on academics, drug and alcohol abuse, teamwork, and other timely topics.

In 1997, the program was held at the Bryce Jordan Center, and more than 1,000 students attended to hear presentations by Penn State coaches, including one by legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

The focus of this year's rally will be on a positive lifestyle. The program is scheduled to last an hour and a half. It will include gymnastics and fencing demonstrations as well as a slam-dunk contest.

Penn State also will mark the week with a Penn Pal Carnival. In the Penn Pal Program, student-athletes correspond on a monthly basis with fourth- and fifth-grade students from the three regional school districts.

In their letters, student-athletes discuss such topics as the importance of school, goal setting and the benefits of staying involved with extracurricular activities.

The student-athletes get a chance to meet their Penn Pals at the carnival, which is held the week of National Student-Athlete Day.

The carnival unites the students with their pals for a morning of experiential learning, laughter and fun. Each student-athlete is assigned a team of young students. Once the teams have been established and have chosen a name, the student-athlete leads the team through a variety of activities that practice communication, cooperation and teamwork skills.

The event gives the student-athletes the opportunity to practice their leadership skills, and it gives the young students a chance to practice their communication, cooperation and teamwork skills in a structured environment with the assistance of some influential role models.

The Nittany Lion closes the event with some inspirational cheers and an autograph session.

"It was good for our students to see that Penn State athletes are regular people who faced the same struggles and decisions growing up as the fifth graders do," said Linda Springman, school counselor at Warrior Run School District in Turbotville, Pennsylvania.

It was clear that the students appreciated the student-athletes' efforts.

"It was fun and educational," said Josh Loftus, one of the attendees. "That's the first time I've ever done something that was fun and still got a main concept of the thing they taught us. They showed us things on cooperation and teamwork, and it all made perfect sense from the activity we did."

The Shadow Program at Penn State, also held the week of National Student-Athlete Day, gives students in sixth, seventh or eighth grade the opportunity to interact with student-athletes on a one-to-one basis.

Schools within a 90-mile radius of the university are invited to participate and send two student representatives.

Sponsored by Penn State's Student-Athlete Advisory Board, the program allows young people -- who are selected by their school -- to attend class with a student-athlete, tour campus and visit the athletics department's sports facilities. Shadows also get to have lunch with their student-athlete.

Penn State also has a faculty/staff club luncheon hosted by both a male and a female student-athlete each day during the week of National Student-Athlete Day.

Also, Penn State's speaker's bureau, which features student-athletes visiting schools in the area from time to time all year long, makes several special visits during that week.