This Munro day marks the second Munro day that the Dalhousie Tigers women?s basketball team has dedicated their day-off of school to mentor young female basketball players in the community.
The Tigers gathered in the Studley gymnasium on Dalhousie campus to spend this Munro day, (Friday, February 7) with Caledonia Jr. High School?s female basketball team. The Tigers spent the day mentoring the girls in the gym doing drill, socializing and showing the girls around campus. After shooting games and a game of knock outs the Tigers concluded their skills part of the day. The Tigers then took the girls to lunch in a Dalhousie residence meal hall and the Caledonia team was given a tour of Dalhousie campus by the varsity players. This is a way for Tigers varsity players to meet their biggest fans and to trigger their thoughts about what they want to do after high school. The day encourages the team to continue their education and athletics. The Caledonia team has attended various Tigers basketball games and considered the players some of their biggest and best role models.
It was rookie, Olamide Ojuawo?s first Munro day with the Tigers, the Rothesay, NB native said ?It?s feels good to have young girls look up to us, it?s rewarding to us as much as it?s rewarding to them. Another Tiger?s athlete, Korenda Colley is in her third year at Dalhousie and this is her second time spending the day with this team of young girls, the Dartmouth native explained, ?We take the girls on the tour of the campus, showing them that if they continue to work hard they too can come to University or complete their own goals.?
Hannah Day, of Dartmouth is in her seventh grade at Caledonia Jr. High school and it is her third year playing basketball. ?I really liked spending the day with the Tigers; I want to come play at Dalhousie someday.? Day stated. The team finds it extremely rewarding to meet and mingle with the Tigers team. The Tiger players motivate the girls, because they are prime examples that hard work in athletics and in academics truly pays off and that if you work hard that they can concur their goals. The girls wrote reflections on the day they had, stating what they learned from the Tigers. Though the girls are young, but the words they wrote were wise and power full: "I will get there if I stay in school and stay on the right path and do the right things in life,? "I learned that goal setting is important, and goals help you when you feel like you are doing the wrong thing. It's good to have goals and look at them for a bright future and present,? "I will get there through hard work, determination, setting goals, and persistence. As long as I want it enough I will keep my hope alive."
Last year Tiger varsity athletes put in approximately 900 hundred volunteer hours and they hope to increase that number each year. The women?s basketball team hopes to make this day of leadership a Munro day annual event or more frequent then annual event. All in all, the day is extremely rewarding to both the youth and the mentors and showcases the community spirit held in the women?s basketball team. To finish off the day the girls learned a quote that they can carry with them throughout their student-athlete career.
"Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do." - Mandela