Women's Basketball Takes Active Role in Mars Hill Community
The Mars Hill women's basketball team has had an active presence at Mars Hill Elementary School, helping to clean the school and serving as mentors to students as the team prepares for the 2014-15 season.
MARS HILL, N.C. - Wednesday is the first official day of practice for the Mars Hill women's basketball team, but they have been hard at work on and off the court since August. Head coach Sarah Jansen's student-athletes have been exercising themselves mentally and physically in the classroom, the weight room and on the court in preparation for a challenging season.
In addition to their preparations for the 2014-15 season, the Lions have also found time to give back to their community. Mars Hill Elementary School is this year's beneficiary of the team's efforts. On Saturday, September 13, the team spent the morning cleaning the school. They performed various tasks, including painting the walls, vacuuming cobwebs from the ceilings, washing the blinds, cleaning the windows and organizing the athletic supplies.
The team also goes to Mars Hill Elementary two days a week in groups of six to spend time mentoring young girls at the school. The Lions talk about setting goals and how to achieve them, different study skills, friendship building, getting out of their comfort zones, interacting with new people and building life-long relationships.
While the team is excited for the season to start, they also have a new purpose this semester. They are learning what it means to truly serve and to be role models in the community for young girls who aspire to be like them. They are learning the true lesson that their college experience far exceeds the 94 feet of a college basketball court, as they pay it forward to the future of the Mars Hill community.
