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Jan. 31, 2008
By Lindsay Jacki with additional reporting by Chris Macaluso WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermakers will be getting their kicks off the field this Friday when they participate in Cumberland Elementary School's Math Night for a second-straight year. Head coach Rob Klatte has been designated as this year's Math Night V.I.P. and will read the names of the raffle prize winners. His Boilermakers are slated to lead students (grades K-3) in the math relay, which requires competitors to solve an equation before they're able to advance towards the finish line. Math Night is the second major community service project for the Boilermakers in as many weeks. On Jan. 20, the team helped celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), a yearly event used to commemorate girls and women's participation in sports and athletics. The NGWSD is the sole professional educational organization devoted exclusively to advocating for opportunities for girls and women in sports. The team interacted with their younger fans through games and activities held in Lambert Fieldhouse. This commitment to community service rewards Purdue's student-athletes, such as team co-captain Amy Burrell, with feelings that are as good as any goal. "Community service is really important," said Burrell. "At the National Girls and Women in Sports Day we saw many familiar faces. A lot of the girls that came last Sunday had also attended the summer camps. It's cool to see the same girls come and support you. I feel like I can give back to them as well. It's a good thing for us to do." As a team, the Boilermakers generally volunteer their time to four or five different service projects each year. Klatte, who's been part of the Lafayette-West Lafayette community for well over a decade, wants his players to be aware of life's challenges that occur outside the classroom and soccer stadium.
"We have gone to great lengths in approaching community leaders to help out with projects," said Klatte. "I think they've (the student-athletes) been well received by the people that have attended them, and that we've built a solid relationship between our program and the local community. We have demonstrated that we are willing to go above and beyond in taking care of people." A leopard may not be able change its spots, but it can change its color. Purdue has found that fund-raising games are a great way to raise awareness. Along with donning the Old Gold and Black uniforms, the Boilermakers have been seen wearing Red, White and Blue, yellow, and sometimes even pink jerseys over the past three seasons. The Boilermakers' most recent in-season fund raiser took place last Sept. 13 against Bowling Green, wearing Red, White and Blue alternate uniforms in support of American servicemen and women. The teams' game-worn jerseys were auctioned following the match with all proceeds donated to the Coalition to Salute American Heroes, an organization committed to helping wounded and disabled War on Terror veterans to rebuild their lives and homes. Prior to the match, the Boilermakers helped collected soccer balls for Operation Soccer Chopper, whose mission is to air lift and drop all sorts of volleyballs and soccer balls to the children of Afghanistan. Purdue's fund-raising games in 2005 and 2006 dealt with cancer awareness. The Boilermakers hit the field in yellow-colored jerseys in 2006 against Toledo to support Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Foundation, which raises awareness for those with cancer through education, public health, and research programs. The year prior, the Boilermakers dressed in pink jerseys vs. Iowa in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Purdue also held a one-day camp for soccer moms this past October with all proceeds going to KICKS Against Breast Cancer, a non-profit corporation created to benefit the fight against breast cancer. A team photo with the camp participants was recently featured on the front cover of a soccer magazine, which was distributed at last week's national soccer coaches' convention in Baltimore, Md. By working with these community-based organizations and schools, the Boilermakers are not only building a fan base, but they're demonstrating the benefits of being well-rounded individuals and role models. The team's community service really hits home with Burrell, who has spent most of her life growing up in Northwest and Central Indiana. A 2005 graduate of West Lafayette High School, Burrell's father Bart played football for Purdue from 1977 through 1980. When interacting with younger girls during community projects, Burrell remembers a time when she was in their shoes. "Growing up I remember going to the Purdue events and looking up to those girls," recalled Burrell. "Actually being able to get there and be that role model for the other kids is pretty neat. It is something that needs to be taken seriously, and you need to make sure you are a good person to look up to." Purdue's connection to Cumberland Elementary was established though one of the team's many youth camps. A mother of one of the campers suggested the school reach out to the Boilermakers after taking note of the positive bond that existed between the players and participants. The soccer players quickly hit it off with the students and were given celebrity treatment, signing autographs and posing for pictures. The Boilermakers' popularity with the crowd resulted in their being invited back again in 2008. "I think it's beneficial (for the team) to give their time to the younger generation where these kids can relate and say these are adults that do something that I love doing," said Klatte. "And to have female student-athletes go to a co-ed school and have both boys and girls looking up to them ... well, that's something that wouldn't have happened 20 or more years ago." Cumberland's Math Night runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is open to all members of the public. Representatives with Lafayette Urban Ministry will be on hand to accept and collect canned food donations. This Week In Practice Since practice victories lower the number of required yards run by a student-athlete, Klatte is pleased to see his reward program having a positive effect. Each individual victory equals a reduction of 300 yards. "Honestly I think today (Tuesday) was one of the most passionate, competitive training sessions that we've had," said Klatte. "At the end it was fantastic to see the emotional disparity between the players that had won, and the players that had lost because there is the running that's tied to it. They didn't just go through the motions, they were really trying to win." This week's practice games again feature a six-on-six format, but Klatte has made it more challenging by shrinking the size of field and demanding two-touch play. This process creates more pressure on the ball while increasing the speed of the game. Jessica Stellhorn, Burrell, Sylvia Forbes, Jessica Okoroafo, Stephanie Dansereau and Katie Seeger were the top-six finishers in the week three technical skills challenge. Their hard work geared towards on-field perfection has earned them several hundred yards worth of fitness day reductions.
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