Community service plays
an integral role in the education of Haverford College students.
The women's soccer team participates in numerous service projects
throughout the year and is committed to encouraging and fostering
relationships between team members and a variety of local groups.
2005-2006
"Early in December 2005, my teammates from
the Haverford Women's soccer team and I volunteered for the Passport
to Excellence Day. We assisted college coaches in running soccer
sessions for the children throughout the day, and near the end we
each coached our own team in the final tournament. We had a wonderful
time participating! It was fun playing, coaching, and meeting the
children and coaches that we worked with. The most rewarding part
of the day, though, was more than the fun we had and the workout
we got from trying to keep up with the kids. It was extremely gratifying
to see the kids' having a great time, and to observe their soccer
skills and friendships progress throughout the day.
It was an honor to volunteer for this foundation and
to be a part of such an extraordinary program. Annie Turner, a freshman
on the team, enthusiastically described her positive volunteer experience,
"I had such a great time with the kids! Playing soccer with
them was a lot of fun for all of us, the coaches and the kids, but
what I was most struck by was that the children all came away with
new friends of different backgrounds. They find out that other kids
aren't any different from them." Another one of my teammates,
Lauren Kibbe, was impressed with the Starfinder Foundation's effectiveness
in achieving their goal of helping children build character through
having fun playing soccer. "If there's one thing I'd like to
say about the program it's that I think it's really great how it
integrates kids from all different socio-economic statuses through
soccer. I feel like that's a really big problem in our society.
It's important to erase those lines that divide people based on
class and doing that at an early age is great."
The highlight of the experience for us was sharing
our love of soccer with the children through playing and coaching,
while having a great time with them. We enjoyed serving as role
models for the kids on our teams, and helping them see what they
can accomplish, whether it is with their soccer careers, studies,
or future life, with hard work and dedication. Thank you, Starfinder
Foundation for giving us the opportunity to spend a day with these
children and have a positive influence on their lives. We had a
great time!"
January 2005: Team members helping the local
blind athlete association in a goalball practice session
1998-1999
1998 Team Members-Habitat For Humanity
Habitat for Humanity projects are probably the most
popular activities among team members.
Lydia Milnes '00(Habitat For Humanity)
Caitlin Day '01(Habitat For Humanity)
The team has also been involved with youth soccer
teams. Having served as an intern for The United States Association
for Blind Athletes, Head coach Wendy Smith is working to establish
a relationship between the team and the Eastern Pennsylvania Blind
Athlete Association.
2000 JV Team Members & NJ Long Valley Shooting Stars
