UIC Athletes Meet with Students at UNO Charter Network’s Octavio Paz Elementary to Discuss Future Goals and a Passion for Sport
By Mariana Villaseñor, WSC Communications Intern
A shared interest in sport has the power of bringing people from different backgrounds together and on Tuesday January 12, 2012, it was no different. Four student-athletes from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC’s) basketball team visited Octavio Paz Charter School in Little Village as part of World Sport Chicago’s Athlete Ambassador Program. Forward Hayden Humes (Valparaiso, Ind.), center Will Simonton (Vienna Va.) and guards Matt Bush (Quincy, Ill.) and Anthony Kelley (Aurora, Ill.), accompanied by the director of basketball operations for the UIC Flames, Drew Slempkes, spoke to the children about the importance of education and sport. As the program continues, the Athlete Ambassadors hope to encourage the younger student-athletes to seek opportunities through sport. In the lunch room of the school, the Flame players had an audience of about twenty-three students from fifth to eighth-grade thrilled to listen to their stories and experiences as UIC student-athletes.
The Athlete Ambassador program encourages elementary school students to excel not only in sports, but also at school. World Sport Chicago matches Athlete Ambassadors, including Olympians, Paralympians and university athletes, over a series of visits with a local school to engage in a curriculum focused on goal setting, teamwork and academic excellence.
Being this the first of three visits at Octavio Paz, the UIC Athletes Ambassadors and the students introduced themselves and soon engaged in a conversation. The Ambassadors talked about their majors, their passion for sport as well as their future plans; while the students talked about their favorite sport, athlete and favorite subject at Octavio Paz. Basketball greats such as Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan were mentioned. Both groups were a bit timid at first, but as the discussion picked up pace, the silence was quickly replace by laughter.
Then the session of questions and answers began.
“What made you go to UIC?” Tania, a seventh-grader asked Ambassadors. “In my case, I chose UIC because it is closer to home and because of the ratings for its business program.” Bush answered. Tania’s favorite sports are basketball and soccer. She dreams of becoming a fashion model one day, and she considers her education to be very important for her future.
Fifth-grader, Lavaron, asked the older athletes, “How do you feel when someone doesn’t pass you the ball?” “Sometimes it happens. You just have to remember that you are part of a team and you have to be there for your team, whether they pas you the ball or not” said Simonton. Lavaron’s favorite sports are also basketball and soccer. He wants to become either a basketball player in college or a music artist when he grows up.
Mr. Slempkes emphasized this point with a Zambian Proverb he often uses with his team during practice, "When you run alone, you run fast. When you run together, you run far." He continued sharing how this theme of goal setting and team support extends to a commitment to academics for his athletes. “If we set the goal of having a 3.0 GPA for the team, I expect them to respond to that commitment by giving their best when they play sports and on their academics as well”.
At the end of the visit, Bush gave his opinion about the purpose of his visit and participation in the program. “I would like to see the kids find our stories useful and implement some of the information into their lives. We know how much of an impact we have on these kids, so every little bit of advice is helpful.” When asked if he considered sport important to a student’s life, he responded, “Absolutely. Time practicing basketball or playing any other sport is time spent away from trouble. This also allows the kids to get adequate exercise and stay healthy. Sports can help teach numerous lessons in life such as playing with adversity and learning how beneficial teamwork can be.”