Listen Here
By Sullivan Pelot
pelots@findlay.edu
For the student athletes at the University of Findlay, competition is only a small part of what it means to represent the school and the community.
University of Findlay athletics says that in fall 2025, 475 student-athletes volunteered for 3578 hours.
“Each team is required to perform community service hours, and the team totals ranged from 65 to over 1000 hours for the semester,” said Fiona Hanks, UF assistant athletic director for sports medicine.
Through volunteer work and charity programs, the teams and players find ways to give back to the community that supports them while also learning lessons that extend beyond sports.
From youth camps to community events, volunteering has become a meaningful part of the student-athlete experience at the University of Findlay. A few athletes say those opportunities not only benefit the local community, but also help the team build stronger connections with leaders and players on the team, as well as community members throughout the town of Findlay.
Sophomore Luke Rodgers, a student-athlete playing men’s soccer for UF, said volunteer work has shown him that athletes have a role in serving others, not just competing on the field.
“I think it’s important because it’s a selfless action that teaches people humility and helps the community,” Rodgers said. “As student-athletes, we represent the school, so giving back to the community is a good way to show appreciation and support the people around us.”
Rodgers said he has volunteered at youth soccer camps at Findlay, set up and run by the team. He’s also run camps with the Ohio Northern University women’s soccer team and worked with the Athens County Food Bank, packing food for people in need.
He said one of his most meaningful experiences was helping at a youth soccer day camp run by the team in the fall. He got to watch players get better, and the campers got to look up to and connect with players playing at a college level.
“It was really fun getting to work with younger kids and teach them about the sport,” Rodgers said. “You can tell they really look up to college athletes, so it feels good to be able to give back in that way.”
Rodgers said volunteer work also helps strengthen team relationships because it gives athletes a shared purpose away from practices and games.
“When everyone works together to help the community, it builds relationships and shows that we’re working toward something bigger than ourselves,” Rodgers said.
Freshman Rylie DeBacker, a women’s soccer player at UF, said student-athletes should feel a responsibility to the community in response for all it’s done for them.
“Student-athletes should give back to the community,” DeBacker said. “Athletes are extremely blessed with the donations and support given to them, so it should be their responsibility to reciprocate that generosity.”
DeBacker said one of her first volunteer experiences with the women’s soccer team came during the Findlay Hot Air Balloon Festival in August 2025, when the team helped pick up trash in the area and collected flags after the event. She said experiences like that and other volunteer experiences she’s done with the team have helped her see how closely connected the university and community are.
“Findlay is a very community-oriented town, so being able to give back to the people who support us is very rewarding to the whole team,” DeBacker said.
She also said volunteering helps athletes grow outside of sports by showing them that they can make an impact off the field.
“I think volunteering helps athletes see themselves as more than just competitors,” DeBacker said. “It gives them the opportunity to use their time and abilities in meaningful ways while also recognizing the importance of being involved in the community around them.”
Findlay Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach Mark Sleasman said coaches try to remind athletes they are in a position to make a real difference through service.
“I think what we do is explain…that you’re in a privileged position,” Sleasman said. “As a team, we usually have enough manpower to make a big difference.”
Sleasman also said that much of the team’s volunteer work centers around providing labor, attention, and mentorship to younger athletes.
“A lot of the volunteer work we do is focused on youth soccer, and I think it’s important for our players to realize the impact they can have on those kids’ lives,” Sleasman said.
He said volunteering also pushes athletes out of their comfort zones and helps them understand that people in the community look up to them.
“Volunteering gives you the opportunity to do things you would not normally do,” Sleasman said. “It teaches you that people are looking up to you, whether it is younger kids or members of the community who are thankful for the help.”
