By Cal Aboud, SDA Media Relations
2014-15 proved to be another successful year for Sun Devil Athletics: Football secured its second consecutive 10-win season for the first time since Frank Kush notched double-digit victories from 1970-73; Shelby Houlihan wrapped up her Sun Devil career as a Pac-12 champion in both Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field (1500m and 5000m); Men’s Basketball knocked off the University of Arizona at home for the second season in a row, Women’s Basketball made its 13th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament advancing to the Sweet 16, first-year head coach Zeke Jones saw six wrestlers compete in the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championship, Men’s Golf posted five team-wins the most since 1995-96 under Pac-12 Coach of the Year Tim Mickelson, and the list goes on. In all 16 Sun Devils earned All-American honors, while four were named Pac-12 Student-Athletes of the Year.
Equally impressive is what Sun Devil Athletics managed to accomplish off the field, specifically in the form of community service.
During the 2014-15 athletic year, Sun Devil Athletics accompanied by the Arizona State Marching Band and student groups such as the 942 Crew, far surpassed previous year-end service marks, accumulating the program’s best community service effort ever.
Under Sun Devils Serve, a community service initiative overseen by Associate Athletic Director Bill Kennedy, 252,109 community members were served, not only in the valley but across three states and two Native American Nations. Over 2,500 participants comprised of student-athletes, Sun Devil Staff, members of the marching band, and student groups, joined together to complete 105 service projects totaling 6,836.50 hours served.
Sun Devil Athletics Community Service Metrics (2014-15/2013-14 Comparison)
· Community Members Served: 252,109/241,126 (up 4.6% in 2014-15)
· Total Hours Served: 6,836.50/6,113.75 (up 11.8% in 2014-15)
· Participants for all Events: 2,503/1,320 (up 89.6% in 2014-15)
· Projects: 105/68 (up 54.4% in 2014-15)
With service and community outreach acting as leading tenants of the Sun Devil Way, Sun Devils Serve has allotted student-athletes and staff members alike the opportunity to shape and affect the lives of members of the community. The concept of serving and creating an affinity with the surrounding community has become a priority within Sun Devil Athletics.
“It’s really about getting the culture of service ingrained into our staff members”, says Kennedy. “We are now in year four of making this a priority. With all of our student-athletes service is something our coaches instill as a part of the Sun Devil Way. If we have student-athletes who haven’t had that opportunity before, giving them that opportunity, so they experience the feeling associated with serving others is helpful. Once you get that warm feeling associated with helping others, you want to replicate it. And that’s certainly what drives more projects, more community members served, hours, etc. I also think it gives them an appreciation for were they are in life and how fortunate they are. They are placed in these roles were they can use their good fortune to help others.”
In accordance with the Sun Devil Way, Sun Devil Athletics served in a number of commendable pursuits this past year. Notable projects included the annual United Fantasy Flight aimed at providing underprivileged children a special Christmas experience, and a 942 Crew outreach effort in the Las Vegas community in which the student group aided in improving a local homeless shelter.
Sun Devil Athletics and Sun Devils Serve also made an effort to collaborate in Arizona State University wide efforts and initiatives. “Being a good partner with our campus and looking at things that are important to them and helping those causes is vitally important”, says Kennedy.
Partnering with the long standing “Tribal Nations Tour” an innovative Arizona State University program aimed at increasing interaction with tribal communities, while encouraging higher education and wellness, via community service, Sun Devil student-athletes partook in trips to both the San Carlos Apache Nation and the White Mountain Apache Nation. The student-athletes while there conducted sports clinics and accompanied tribe members in aiding in community service projects. “It’s truly an incredible project…” says Kennedy, “Sun Devil Athletics not only had the chance to give back, but in turn gain a knowledge and understanding of these tribes. It truly was a win-win”.
Sun Devils Serve also partook in ASU’s Sexual Assault awareness effort, conducting an awareness night at a Men’s Basketball game as well as passing out wristbands containing important messages at Baseball and Softball events. Sun Devil Athletics also collaborated with the University in breaking a world record in hunger relief providing more than 14,000 meals to children in local communities.
As the 2015-16 athletic year approaches, Sun Devil Athletics continues to redefine what it means to be a Sun Devil, and looks forward to continued success on and off the field.