Troy University Athletics
Helping Teach Tomorrow's Leaders
2/19/2010 6:00:00 AM | General
Being an athlete is hard work. It takes a special person to be one, and the task seems to be even tougher for women in athletics.
Gertrude Ederle helped set the bar however for women and their place in athletics in 1926. She became the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. This task even at the shortest width of the channel is 21 miles long, but the Olympic gold medalist conquered hat feat building a foundation for women in athletics and forever etching her name in history.
That is what third grade students at Headland Elementary School in Headland, Alabama learned about recently, and some of Troy University's female athletes spoke to them about what it takes to be a successful female athlete.
"We went to basically talk to them about how hard it is to become a collegiate athlete as a woman," Trojan volleyball team member Devin Von Pingel said. "Our purpose in being there was to teach them about hard work. Women have had it tougher in becoming athletes at a high level, and with there not being as many professional sports for us as men it proves what a great accomplishment Gertrude Ederle acheived."
The Trojan athletes gave the Headland Elementary students a first-hand look at what a female athlete faces from day to day, and with them speakng as opposed to an instructor it also put a different spin on the lesson.
"They had been learning about this, and we offered a better perspective into the subject to help them learn a little bit more," Von Pingel said. "We had a great time while we were there, and I hope that we helped out in a great way too."
This is just one of many appearances that Troy student-athletes make at schools in the area each year, and every sport tries to enrich the lives of our youth as best they can by being positive influences on tomorrow's leaders.
Gertrude Ederle helped set the bar however for women and their place in athletics in 1926. She became the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. This task even at the shortest width of the channel is 21 miles long, but the Olympic gold medalist conquered hat feat building a foundation for women in athletics and forever etching her name in history.
That is what third grade students at Headland Elementary School in Headland, Alabama learned about recently, and some of Troy University's female athletes spoke to them about what it takes to be a successful female athlete.
"We went to basically talk to them about how hard it is to become a collegiate athlete as a woman," Trojan volleyball team member Devin Von Pingel said. "Our purpose in being there was to teach them about hard work. Women have had it tougher in becoming athletes at a high level, and with there not being as many professional sports for us as men it proves what a great accomplishment Gertrude Ederle acheived."
The Trojan athletes gave the Headland Elementary students a first-hand look at what a female athlete faces from day to day, and with them speakng as opposed to an instructor it also put a different spin on the lesson.
"They had been learning about this, and we offered a better perspective into the subject to help them learn a little bit more," Von Pingel said. "We had a great time while we were there, and I hope that we helped out in a great way too."
This is just one of many appearances that Troy student-athletes make at schools in the area each year, and every sport tries to enrich the lives of our youth as best they can by being positive influences on tomorrow's leaders.
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