Rowdy students, outspoken parents, noisy bands and, of course, upbeat cheerleaders are all memories from high school athletic events. However, with parents often hours away, students frequently too busy to attend and a quieting lack of bands and cheerleaders, the excitement of college sports seems to dwindle. In order to increase support for athletes, community outreach has become an important goal for the athletic department at Whitman.
“In the past, community outreach has been somewhat sporadic. We are making an effort to promote an increase in community involvement in the athletic program,” said Assistant Athletic Director Skip Molitor.
One step the athletic department is taking toward improving community involvement is providing information to the community. The department dispersed 250 posters among supportive businesses around Walla Walla. Information about all fall varsity teams and their scheduled home games are included on the posters. This process will be repeated for winter and spring varsity sports as well.
According to Molitor, this approach of informing the community is more cohesive than it has been in the past. These posters promote Whitman athletics in a simpler and more visible way. Their goal is to encourage people in the community to get out and support the college sports teams.
Beyond the posters, improving community participation has become a goal of the athletic department in order to benefit both the community and the students.
“Our athletes and our teams have a lot to offer the community, and the community can offer opportunities for our student-athletes to use their talents. Our student-athletes are passionate about their sports and their education, and are wonderful role models,” said Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) Advisor Michelle Ferenz.
SAAC consists of student-athletes from several varsity teams. They have many programs that reach out to the Walla Walla community, including a reading program with Sharpstein Elementary and helping the Downtown Association with their annual Halloween trick-or-treating tradition.
Both Molitor and Ferenz agree that community involvement is a win-win situation for the community and for students.
“Almost every program in the athletic department offers a camp or a clinic open to local youth. Some are during the school year and some are over the summer,” said Ferenz.
Ferenz also mentioned a few additional programs within Whitman athletic teams. For instance, Mike Washington’s men’s soccer team works with boys’ teams in town to tutor them and introduce them to the college experience, men’s tennis head coach Jeff Northram offers youth tennis camps through Parks and Recreation and swimming head coach Jennifer Blomme and the swim team put on the triathlon every year, which invites the public to promote physical activity and Whitman athletics.
These activities are by no means the extent of what athletes and coaches at Whitman do to reach out to the community. The hope of the department, according to Molitor, is that more entertainment groups and promotions at games will increase the community’s interest in Whitman athletics.
In the past, spectators have enjoyed half-time shows that included youth basketball games and a spectacular jump rope routine. Molitor and others involved in the athletic department are working to bring in more of these types of entertainment to broaden involvement within the program.
