Student-Athletes Assist at Stampede of Service

Courtesy: USF                   Release: 01/22/2009

TAMPA, Fla. – On January 17 the University of South Florida supported the Stampede of Service as 90 student-athletes assisted with the NFL Youth Education Town initiative.

“Our student-athletes always look forward to events like Stampede of Service,” said Al Gentilini, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development at USF. "Getting involved and giving back to the community is important to them and SOS is a great event for them to cultivate relationships with other team members and other students across campus, all the while providing a service to the Tampa Bay community."

The USF student-athletes hailed from eight sports including the men's soccer, women's soccer, men's golf, women's golf, women's basketball, volleyball, sailing and baseball teams.

In its fourth year as the only campus-wide service initiative, the USF student-athletes set out to beautify the Tampa community with more than 2,000 of their fellow USF students. For this year's event, the student-athletes planted flowers, shrubs, sod and raked leaves, picked up trash at the NFL Center at Jackson Heights on Lake Avenue in Tampa.

“We had a lot of fun participating in the event,” said Alejandra Santos of the women’s soccer team. "It was great to see the kids’ faces light up as we helped clean up their new community center.

The SOS serves more than 60 organizations in the Tampa Bay community, volunteering with senior citizens, the environment, youth, homelessness, poverty and women's issues. This year the SOS worked with the National Football League's Youth Education Town (YET), which are youth center "towns" constructed in Super Bowl cities.

“Since the Super Bowl only comes to town every so often, it was a great opportunity to be a part of the NFL legacy and give back to the community,” said baseball player Peter Brotons.

Stampede of Service Photo Album

According to JointheTeam.com, the YET Program began after the Los Angeles civil disturbances prior to Super Bowl XXVII. The disturbances revealed the need for hope, restoration and community outreach. The NFL sought ways to positively impact the nation’s communities after the big game was played by using sports as a means to foster community development. Since that time, the NFL has challenged each Super Bowl host city to create a center in an area needing community restoration. To assist in this endeavor, the NFL annually donates $1 million toward the project in the respective community. The remaining amount needed is funded by local public and private donations.

Today, there are 14 YET Centers through the country, two of which are located in Tampa. One is located in Jackson Heights area and the other is in Mort Park. The YET Centers are designed to meet the needs of underdeveloped communities by providing educational assistance, personal development training, technical training, life skills development and recreational outlets to their youth.

Since 2001, the YET Centers of Tampa Bay have played an integral role in providing alternatives for the youth in their communities by partnering with community organizations to provide programs and activities that enhance their lives.