With service being such an integral part of Grand Valley State University’s mission, students participating in club sports programs have been asked to take part in a volunteer, service or philanthropic activity beginning this academic year.

Previously, the only requirement for students to be eligible for participation in the Club Sports program was to take at least one class. The new service requirement has been added to this list of requirements following discussion with club sports leaders, coaches and the Club Sports Executive Board.

“Our club leaders and coaches thought it would be great for each organization to have some sort of service learning activity throughout the year to help provide a team-building experience outside of practices and games,” said Eric Garvelink, coordinator for the Club Sports program, which is operated through the Office of Student Life.

Though the requirement of service by members of club sports may be a new idea at GVSU, it is not a new concept overall.

“We looked at some of the best practices from Club Sports programs across the country and noticed that many programs required a service activity from their club sports organizations,” Garvelink said. “We also wanted to expand the Club Sports program’s awareness and collaboration with the Office of Student Life’s Community Service Learning Center.”

With more than 1,600 participants in club sports, GVSU has made an impact through varied volunteer work throughout the year. One participating team is the GVSU dodgeball team.

“The requirement helps because it is another opportunity for our team to get together and work for a common goal outside of games or practice,” said Mark Trippiedi, president of the dodgeball team. “We get to know each other better in terms of off-the-court personality.”

The team has helped out for the past two years with a high school charity dodgeball tournament benefiting cancer patients. The event is hosted by the Careerline Tech Center of Holland, and the tournament takes place at Allendale High School in February.

“It also helps get our club’s name out to the community and the high school players that compete in the charity tournament,” Trippiedi said. “They get a chance to talk to us and learn a little about our club, and if the student chooses to attend GVSU, then they already know about us and are more likely to come out for the team.”

Volunteer opportunities for all club sports on campus vary from service projects related specifically to a team’s sport, such as the dodgeball tournament, to broader projects within the community. All volunteer projects are reported to recreation staff and required by all teams on an annual basis.

“Sure, we’re all busy college students, but you make a commitment when you join a club sport to compete and help GVSU and the surrounding community,” Trippiedi said. “It is always important to give back to the community and support the community, because the surrounding community helps to support this great institution that we attend and get to represent on the courts, fields (and) ice.”

Due to positive and committed results since the volunteer requirement’s establishment at GVSU, the prerequisite will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

“Volunteering time and talents affects all parties involved,” Garvelink said. “Whether it is the beneficiary nonprofit organization or a group of kids interacting with great college role models from the club sports program, the positive impact is felt. We want to continue to educate students to shape their lives, their professions and societies, as the university mission statement says.”

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