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The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

The SMC women's basketball team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. (Submitted)

NILES — The Southwestern Michigan College women’s basketball continued its efforts to give back to the community last week, this time with Niles Community Schools.

The team volunteered at Eastside Connections School and Howard-Ellis Elementary last Friday. At Eastside, players read to kindergarten through second grade students. At Howard, players helped administrators introduce new playground equipment, modeled sportsmanship and played structured games during recess for kindergarten through 5th grade. 

“We loved having SMC ladies basketball on Friday for recess,” said Heather Loos, Assistant Principal at Howard- Ellis Elementary. “They did a great job reinforcing our recess expectations and supporting good sportsmanship. They helped to review our 3Rs respect,  responsibility,  and resilience in a fun and engaging way. Our kiddos had a blast playing games and dancing with the team.  We may have to add a 4th R for Roadrunners as a part of our PBIS framework.”

“Our team had an incredible day working with the elementary students,” added Jessica Johnson, Assistant Coach SMC Women’s Basketball. “It was such a rewarding experience to give back to the community.  It was inspiring to see how eager they were to learn and play,  and it reminded our team of the impact they can make as role models both on and off the court.  We all left with full hearts, knowing we made a positive difference in their day.”

For the program, the time spent at the two schools was an initiative that highlighted the team’s commitment to community service, and its desire to give back. 

“We want to be the definition of servant leadership,” said SMC Women’s Coach Jay Jenkins. “We are creating new leaders of the world and we cannot learn how to lead without being a servant. Servant leadership is a leadership style that prioritizes the needs of others over the leader’s own, with the goal of creating a more just and caring world. It’s based on the idea that leaders should serve first and lead second, and that the needs of others should come before the leader’s own desire. ‘We’ over ‘me.’” 

“I loved sharing my love for sports with these kids, it was a great experience,” added SMC freshman forward Caley Strahen.

Sophomore and former Niles basketball standout Amara Palmer was on hand and enjoyed volunteering in her community.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a difference, be a positive role model, and give back to my community,” she said.

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