University of Connecticut Athletics
Successful Fall Semester For Husky Reach, Goal Line Project
2/14/2024 10:49:00 AM | General
STORRS – The community service programs of UConn Athletics – Husky Reach and The Goal Line Project – have completed another successful semester of service to area schools.
The programs are designed to support the academic and personal development of elementary and middle school students. At the same time, the UConn student-athletes gain invaluable personal skills and experiences from participating. Each year, the UConn programs are able to connect student-athletes with over 1,300 elementary and middle school students across both Husky Reach and The Goal Line Project. The UConn programs and supported by over a 15-year partnership with the Savings Bank of Manchester Charitable Foundation.
Husky Reach is a reading-based program that allows student-athletes the opportunity to engage and connect with students at Sweeney Elementary in Willimantic and both Verplanck Elementary and Waddell Elementary in Manchester. The Husky Reach program provides each student in our three partner schools with multiple books per academic year, school visits and read-alouds from UConn student-athletes, and trips to campus, among other activities.
The Goal Line Project is a life skills program that allows student-athletes the opportunity to engage and connect with students at East Hartford Middle School. This group meets bi-weekly throughout the academic year with UConn student-athletes to explore and discuss various developmentally relevant life skills, in addition to trips to campus and game visits among other activities.
This past semester, student-athletes involved in the Husky Reach – including Rayonte Brown (football), Alex Mach (baseball), Kaitlyn Mahoney (soccer), Lucy Cappadona (soccer), Joyce Ryder (soccer), Taylor Jeffery (rowing), Megan Alvarado (rowing), Olivia Romanowsky (rowing), Emma Paynter (rowing), Rachel Woodruff (track) and Carolina Webb (track) -- visited Waddell Elementary School in Manchester, where they read to the Waddell students at each grade level.
The UConn student-athletes involved in Goal Line Reach – including Lexi Hastings (softball), Grace Jenkins (softball), Maurice Wilmer II (football), Alfread Chea (football), Jackson Mitchell (football), Isabella Suhy (volleyball), Emma Werkmeister (volleyball), Jess Perry (volleyball), Cera Powell (volleyball), Grace Maria (volleyball) and Kaitlyn Mahoney (soccer) -- made trips to interact with students at East Hartford Middle School. Then in January, the middle school students spent a day on the UConn campus, where they visited Gampel Pavilion, the Shenkman Training Center, the Rizza Performance Center, the student union and the UConn library. They had lunch at the Putnam dining hall and attended the women's ice hockey game against Maine.
The UConn community service programs will continue throughout the spring semester.
