Badgers Give Back 2013-14 Community Impact Report

BADGERS GIVE BACK ›› COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT, 2013-14

MESSAGE FROM BARRY ALVAREZ The 2013-14 school year was marked by great accomplishments for Wisconsin Athletics. Our teams continued to set the bar high with a fantastic Final Four run by the men’s basketball team, an NCAA title match appearance by the volleyball team, three Big Ten championships and a trip to the Capital One Bowl. We continue to excel on the field of play. It is our work off the field, however, that I am particularly proud of-- the work of our student-athletes in the community and the continued growth of our Badgers Give Back program.

We started Badgers Give Back in September, 2012 with three goals in mind: to share the stories of our student-athletes’ off-field accomplishments, ensure compliance with NCAA regulations, and to streamline the process for fans to request student-athlete appearances and in-kind donations. The program has been tremendously well received. We received more than 300 requests last year for student-athlete appearances, a 178% increase from the previous year. Our student-athletes were able to fulfill 280 of those requests, volunteering a total of 8,124 hours during the academic year. I am proud of the work they have done to improve our community and give back to our fans. Much is required of our studentathletes, with classes, homework and practice, yet our student-athletes still make it a priority to spend time volunteering in the community. They are a tremendous group of young people and exceptional representatives of this university.

In two short years we have developed one of the best, most robust community outreach programs in the country. It is true to the Wisconsin Idea and something this university and our fans should be proud of. I am excited for the opportunities this program provides to interact with our fans and expect tremendous things in the years to come.

On Wisconsin,

About Badgers Give Back ............................... 1 2013-14 Program Statistics ............................ 2 Mission & Values.............................................. 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pillar 1: Education ............................................ 5 Read Across America Day ................................ 6 Bookin’ it with Bucky ........................................ 6 Spring Football Game ...................................... 7 Read Your Heart Out Day/NAPPID .................... 7 Pillar 2: Mentorship ......................................... 8 Adopt-A-Player ................................................ 9 Wrestling Practice Visits ................................... 9 Pillar 3: Helping Hand ................................... 10 Wish Upon a Badger ..................................... 11 Caleb’s Pitch ................................................. 12 American Family Children’s Hospital................ 12 Shave to Save ............................................... 14 Bucky’s Locker Room Patio .............................. 15 Football 101 ................................................. 15 Uplifting Athletes ........................................... 15 Crew for Kids ............................................... 16 Shooting Down Cancer .................................. 16 Senior Center Visits........................................ 17 Fill the Bowl .................................................. 17 Red and White Hunger Fight .......................... 17

Pillar 4: Health & Wellness ..................................... 18 WiscFit ................................................................. 19 Science of Badger Athletics ..................................... 20 Special Olympics ................................................... 20 Military Appreciation............................................... 21 UW Football Hosts Wounded Warriors..................... 22 Men’s Basketball Hosts Wounded Warriors ............... 23 2013-14 Statistics .................................................... 24 By the Numbers ..................................................... 25 Team Statistics .......................................................... 26 Hours Volunteered per Team – Men’s Sports. ............. 26 Hours Volunteered per Team – Women’s Sports ......... 27 Most Hours Volunteered by Student-Athlete: Men ....... 28 Most Hours Volunteered by Student-Athlete: Women ... 29 2014-15 Program Goals ........................................ 30 2014-15 Program Initiatives .................................... 31

ABOUT BADGERS GIVE BACK In September 2012, Wisconsin Athletics unveiled “Badgers Give Back,” a new community relations platform meant to increase publicity of student-athlete outreach efforts, streamline the request process for student-athlete appearances and in-kind donations and further ensure compliance with NCAA regulations.

The first year of the program was an unquestioned success, producing a 263-percent increase in UW student-athlete appearances, 79-percent increase in hours volunteered and a 198-percent inrease in requests for an appearance by a UW student-athlete. UW student-atheltes volunteered an impressive 4,185 hours to improving the community, appearing at 145 events during the 2012-13 academic year.

During the 2013-14 academic year, the program continued to grow at a tremdendous rate. In its second year, the program produced:

193%

increase in UW studentathlete appearances

178%

increase in requests for appearances by UW student-athletes

194%

increase in number of hours volunteered by UW student-athletes

273%

increase in publicity of outreach efforts

CHRIS BORLAND Senior Football Hometown: Kettering, OH No. of Hours Volunteered: 125 Lott IMPACT Trophy Finalist

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On Badgers Give Back “We are afforded a great opportunity to give back with our visibility as student-athletes. The students at Wisconsin are very active in community service as a whole, and we love when we get a chance to help a deserving cause.”

2013-14 STATISTICS

8,124 280 65

hours volunteered by UW student-athletes

community appearances by UW student-athletes

articles posted to UWBadgers.com publicizing outreach efforts

684

tweets generated with #BadgersGiveBack

319

requests for UW student-athlete appearances

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MISSION Wisconsin Athletics is committed to enriching the communities of its fans by providing meaningful and impactful engagement opportunities concentrated around four cause areas: 1. Education – We are committed to promoting learning and academic achievement among the students of Wisconsin, with an emphasis on literacy.

2. Mentorship – We are committed to developing the next generation of leaders by supporting programs that foster the development of character and life skills.

3. Helping Hand – We strive to provide experiences for children and families that bring strength and joy in a time of crisis or illness.

4. Health & Wellness – We support any effort that encourages physical fitness and nutrition.

“The student-athletes are great role models for our kids and wonderful ambassadors for the university.”

– Jim Pilner, Principal, Oregon Middle School

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“Badgers Give Back is a platform for our student-athletes to thank fans for their continual support and engage with causes they are passionate about. Giving back is part of the student-athlete culture at Wisconsin. They give freely of their time and really provide a lot of input into the charities we provide assistance to and the causes we support.”

Kayla Gross Community Relations Coordinator

UW Athletics is dedicated to helping our student-athletes develop and grow beyond the field of play through the exploration of areas of social relevance. Through our Badgers Give Back program, we aim to provide our student-athletes with meaningful interactions with our fans and community that enrich their Wisconsin experience. The networks that our student-athletes develop while interacting the community will serve them long after their playing days are over.

DEREK WATT Junior Football Hometown: Pewaukee, Wis No. of Hours Volunteered: 77 Allstate Good Works Team Nominee

On The Impact of Badgers Give Back “Giving back and making a difference in the lives of other people means a great deal to us and keeps us humble. The fact that we can make such a difference and impact people in special ways makes us realize how lucky we really are to have the great opportunities that we are presented with. I honestly believe that we get so much out of the program through meeting such amazing people from various backgrounds and bringing smiles to their faces.”

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EDUCATION The Badgers are committed to promoting learning and academic achievement among the students of Wisconsin, with an emphasis on literacy.

›› BOOKIN’ IT WITH BUCKY

›› READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY On March 3, 2014, UW student-athletes participated in a 10-school tour of the Dane County area in celebration of Read Across America Day. At each school, student-athletes read aloud to students and encouraged them to read.

Established in 2001, Bookin’ It With Bucky is a long-standing partnership between UW Athletics and the Madison Metropolitan School District with the goal of improving literacy in Dane County. Over the 12 years the program has been in place, more than 9,000 students and 300 classrooms have been impacted by interaction with UW student-athletes. Elementary classrooms also receive a visit from Bucky Badger and complimentary tickets and other prizes as a reward for meeting their reading goals. Last year, UW student-athletes voluntereed their time in 39 classrooms across Dane County.

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›› SPRING FOOTBALL GAME BENEFITS LITERACY EFFORTS Proceeds from this year’s spring football game were used to help fund the literacy efforts of the UW-Madison School of Education. UW Athletics donates proceeds from the annual spring game to a campus partner each year.

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›› READ YOUR HEART OUT DAY/NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENT INVOLVEMENT DAY UW student-athletes visited three elementary schools to spend time reading aloud to students in celebration of Read Your Heart Out Day. The event, held in conjunction with National African American Parent Involvement Day, aims to bring parents, family members and community members together to encourage literacy and promote family involvement and cultural relevance.

MENTORSHIP We are committed to developing the next generation of leaders by supporting programs that foster the development of character and life skills.

›› WRESTLING PRACTICE VISITS The UW wrestling team made an extensive commitment to the advancement of the sport this year, instructing the next generation of wrestlers throughout the state. The entire team attended wrestling club practices and helped the young athletes with their skills. They also promoted education to the wrestling clubs and how the first step to being a successful student-athlete is working hard in school.

›› ADOPT A PLAYER PROGRAM The men’s hockey team shared its love of the game with area youth via the “Adopt-A-Player” program.

The men’s hockey team was the first to adopt the program that paired a member of the team with a local youth hockey club. The hockey players connected with the youth clubs on a one-to-one basis through inperson visits and monthly emails. Eight youth teams “adopted” a player in the program’s first year.

KATIE DELANEY On Mentorship Senior Swimming & Diving Hometown: Middleton, Wis. No. of Hours Volunteered: 63 SAAC Community Outreach Chair

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“I am thankful for community service because it allows me to show my thanks to the community that I grew up in and now supports me as a Badger.

Through community service, I am able to show kids that they can achieve their dreams like I did.”

HELPING HAND We strive to provide experiences for children and families that provide strength and joy in a time of crisis or illness.

›› WISH UPON A BADGER Inspired by the “Make a Wish” campaign, the UW Athletic Department began fulfilling the wishes of young Badger fans facing serious illness several years ago with the “Wish Upon A Badger” program. In cooperation with the American Family Children’s Hospital on campus, children are given the opportunity to go behind the scenes with their favorite team, meeting the players and coaches, touring the facilities and hanging out at a practice.

This year’s “Wish Upon A Badger” recipients were nine-year-old Daniel Christian and 12-year-old Maddie Lisius. Daniel, a leukemia patient, is a big Wisconsin soccer fan, and got to fulfill his wish of meeting the men’s soccer team, including attending a practice and receiving a signed jersey and ball. He was also named an honorary captain for the Michigan State game. Maddie enjoyed a day on the green with the women’s golf team, including an indoor obstacle course and a chipping contest against the players. Maddie has been in remission for over a year after battling Ewing’s Sarcoma.

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›› CALEB’S PITCH UW Athletics and the American Family Children’s Hospital partnered to become one of the first universities to adopt “Caleb’s Pitch,” a non-profit program that allows hospital patients to create artwork by shooting paintfilled syringes at a special target: a UW student-athlete holding the canvas.

The program has been shown to reduce the anxiety involved with needles and shots by allowing the patients to engage with the syringes in a fun, nonmedical setting. One UW athletic team visits the hospital every month to participate.

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11

UW athletic teams visited the children’s hospital.

30

visits were made during the 2013-14 academic year.

ANNMARIE BROWN On Visiting the American Family Children’s Hospital Junior Women’s Basketball Hometown: St. Peter, Minn.

No. of Hours Volunteered: 24

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“Visiting the children’s hospital allows me to keep my life in perspective. It is one of the most humbling experiences and nothing brings me more joy than giving back. These children are going through things I can not even imagine and yet, they are so positive and happy. They are my idols.”

›› SHAVE TO SAVE Inspired by their visits to the hospital, the football team partnered with the American Family Children’s Hospital to host the first “Shave to Save” event on October 3, 2013.

Childhood cancer patients were invited to Camp Randall Stadium to enjoy a pizza party, a tour of the stadium, and the main event: shaving the heads of eight UW football players. Two football players also had their heads shaved at the hospital to accommodate patients who were unable to leave the hospital.

“My favorite part was when my barber announced that he was ‘All done!’ and half my head was unshaved. The kids had such a blast seeing us with funny-looking haircuts. Walking around with a funny haircut to make those kids smile was the least we could do after the journey they had throughout all of their treatment.”

- Lance Baretz | Junior, 39 hours volunteered

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›› FOOTBALL 101 The football team shared its knowledge of the game for a good cause at the annual Football 101 event. At this women-only event, players and coaches walk participants through drills, answer questions and give a stadium tour. All proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation of South Central Wisconsin.

›› BUCKY’S LOCKER ROOM PATIO The patio is an outdoor seating area located in the South end zone of Camp Randall Stadium. UW Athletics hosts nine patients, each accompanied by one parent/guardian, and two Child Life staff on the patio for each home game of the football regular season. Patients enjoy a visit from Bucky Badger, a free t-shirt and a signed team poster and are featured on the video board during the game.

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›› UPLIFTING ATHLETES Inspired by 14-year-old Darien Moran, a special friend of the football team, Chris Borland, Jeff Lewis and Kyle Zuleger organized a “Lift for Life” event in July, 2013 to raise money in support of Darien’s rare disease. Moran has been fighting Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis X since 2011.

›› CREW FOR KIDS The women’s rowing team held its second annual “Crew for Kids” ergathon in March, 2014 to raise money for the American Family Children’s Hospital.

Student-athletes from all 23 sports took a turn on the indoor rowing machine, combining for a total of 600 miles rowed. The event raised nearly $3,000 in support of hospital programs.

›› SHOOTING DOWN CANCER Head Coach Bo Ryan and the men’s basketball team hosted its annual Shooting Down Cancer event, known to students as “Make Bo Pay,” on Oct. 17, 2013. The event challenges UW-Madison students to knock down baskets on the Kohl Center hardwood to raise money for cancer. Coach Ryan and his wife, Kelly, donate money for each student in attendance and each basket made to the American Cancer Society. More than 2,100 students attended the event which raised $66,130 for cancer research and prevention.

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›› RED WHITE HUNGER FIGHT

›› SENIOR CENTER VISITS The women’s hockey team and men’s tennis team have made a new group of friends at the Capitol Lakes Senior Center. Members of both teams made several visits over the course of the year to visit with residents and play card games.

The women’s hockey team also hosted several residents to a home game at LaBahn Arena so the seniors could enjoy watching their friends in action.

›› FILL THE BOWL Last year’s “Fill the Bowl” game sold out the Kohl Center capacity for the first time since the event started four years ago, setting an NCAA attendance record with 13,573 fans. The women’s hockey team encourages fans to donate non-perishable food items to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank, a non-profit dedicated to helping fight hunger in southern Wisconsin. This year’s event saw a total of 4,677 pounds of food donated.

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The Red and White Hunger Fight is a campus-wide food drive that benefits the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin. The Red and White Hunger Fight was started by former women’s soccer player Michelle Dalton in 2008. It is now organized by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Morgridge Center for Public Service, the UW Homecoming Committee and the Community Action Coalition. Student-athletes set up bins across Dane County and go door-to-door for collections. The student-athletes then collect all the food and sort it for distribution to a local food bank. This year student-athletes collected 4,886 pounds of food.

HEALTH & WELLNESS UW Athletics supports any effort that encourages physical fitness and nutrition.

›› WISCFIT Created in October 2013, UW Athletics’ WiscFit program aims to encourage healthy eating and exercise habits among youth in grades five through seven.

UW student-athletes visit classrooms to speak with students about the importance of healthy eating and exercise and engage them in an exercise-based activity. They also assist the classroom in setting attainable goals for the year ― two benchmark goals and one ultimate goal. When a classroom reaches its goal, UW Athletics rewards it with a visit from Bucky Badger and certificates of achievement. Twelve classrooms participated in the program in its first year.

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›› SPECIAL OLYMPICS UW student-athletes have developed a special bond with Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes over a mutal love of sport. Studentathletes were on hand at several events during the 2013-14 academic year to help celebrate Special Olympics athletes and their accomplishments. Football players, led by assistant coach Ben Strickland, jumped into ice-cold Lake Mendota at “Freezin’ for a Reason.” UW student-athletes also developed strong connections while dancing the night away at the annual Special Olympics Valentine’s Day Dance and by coaching at the organization’s Youth Activation Summit.

›› SCIENCE OF BADGER ATHLETICS UW student-athletes worked alongside UW-Madison scientists to teach children about the engineering, physics, physiology, nutrition and biology behind their athleticism at the Science of Badger Athletics event. More than 50 student-athletes participated in the event hosted by Discovery Outreach in conjunction with Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory, College of Engineering’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and UW Athletics’ Beyond the game program.

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MILITARY APPRECIATION UW Athletics is proud to honor and support our armed forces and their couragious efforts to protect and defend our country and its freedom.

›› FOOTBALL HOSTS WOUNDED WARRIORS Head Coach Gary Andersen and the Badger football team were pleased to welcome native Wisconsin veterans to the football family in November, 2013. Ten veterans associated with the Wounded Warriors project were welcomed to Camp Randall Stadium to watch football practice from the sideline, meet the team, spend time with the players in the football lounge and meet Athletic Director Barry Alvarez in his office for a chat. The veterans were also given tickets to the BYU game on Nov. 9, 2013, and honored on the field at halftime.

›› MILITARY SURPRISE 13-year-old Bella Lund received quite the surprise at the Badgers’ football game versus Purdue.

A crowd of more than 80,000 spectators cheered as Bella was reunited with her mom, U.S. Army Reserve Captain Jane Renee Lund, returning home from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

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›› MEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS WOUNDED WARRIORS The men’s basketball team was honored to host 20 native Wisconsin veterans from the Wounded Warriors project at a practice in January, 2014. The veterans were treated to a tour of the Kohl Center and were able to meet the players after practice, where they took pictures and received autographs.

DUJE DUKAN On Hosting the Wounded Warriors Junior Men’s Basketball Hometown: Deerfield, IL No. of Hours Volunteered: 15

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“Having the opportunity to meet people who risked their lives for the betterment of our nation was incredible. We wanted to do anything in our power to show our appreciation. The most memorable part was just seeing how something as simple as practicing in front of them could bring such joy to their faces.”

2013-14 STATISTICS

BY THE NUMBERS

125 79

percentage of UW student-athletes who volunteered their time to improving the Madison community.

78

student-athletes volunteered more than 25 hours during the academic year.

284

25

hours that senior linebacker Chris Borland volunteered during his last semester at UW. Borland led all UW student-athletes in hours volunteered and was a finalist for the Lott IMPACT trophy.

student-athletes volunteered more than 10 hours during the academic year.

TEAM STATISTICS ›› NUMBER OF HOURS VOLUNTEERED MEN’S SPORTS Football

2000

Wrestling

504

Soccer

352

Swimming & Diving

266

Rowing

186

Hockey

163

Basketball

119

Golf

115.5

Cross Country

87

Tennis

80

Track & Field

9

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›› NUMBER OF HOURS VOLUNTEERED WOMEN’S SPORTS

27

Rowing

1463.5

Swimming & Diving

636

Softball

357

Hockey

310

Soccer

297.5

Basketball

280

Cross Country

244.5

Golf

236

Track & Field

200

Volleyball

151.5

Tennis

67

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

›› HOURS VOLUNTEERED MALE STUDENT-ATHLETES

Ryan Groy, Football

40.5

Jared Abbrederis, Football

39

Chris Borland, Football

125

Lance Baretz, Football

39

Warren Herring, Football

79

Connor Medbery, Wrestling

39

Derek Watt, Football

77

Jonathan Smaglick, Rowing

36

Brian Wozniak, Football

64

Nick Janus, Soccer

35.5

Jacob Pederson, Football

52

Leon Jacobs, Football

35

Konrad Zagzebeski, Football

51.5

Jeff Lewis, Football

35

Jake Keefer, Football

51

Josh Harrison, Football

34.5

Adam Lauko, Soccer

48

Ben Cox, Wrestling

34

Ray Ball, Football

45.5

James Adeyanju, Football

31

Ethan Hemer, Football

43.5

Bart Houston, Football

31

Scott Liegel, Wrestling

31

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›› HOURS VOLUNTEERED FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETES

29

Kara Krugel, Track & Field

50.5

Alyssa Elliot, Golf

45

Kelsey Kramer, Rowing

143.5

Rebecca Thompson, Swimming

37

Amy Van Aartsen, Rowing

107

Aja Van Hout, Swimming

37

Kim Dinh, Golf

75.5

Trisch Nelson, Swimming

35.5

Monica Whitehouse, Rowing

68

Ilana Friedman, Hockey

33.5

Abby Busler, Golf

66.5

Amanda Morris, Rowing

31.5

Katie Delaney, Swimming

63

Kodee Willaims, Soccer

28

Brooke Resch, Rowing

62

Dominique Thompson, Volleyball 28

Pam Schommer, Rowing

60.5

Taylor Berry, Softball

26.5

Taylor Zimprich, Cross Country

53.5

Molly Doner, Hockey

25

Kate Moy, Rowing

50.5

Anne Tamblyn, Swimming

25

Madison Packer, Hockey

24.5

Questions about the Badgers Give Back program can be directed to: Kayla Gross Community Relations Coordinator kgross@athletics.wisc.edu (608)-890-4822

To request an appearance by a UW student-athlete, please visit: http://uwathletics.com/forms/comm_serv_form.aspx To request an in-kind donation for use at your charitable event, please visit: https://uwmadison.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3mHkg10Atc7xbk9

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