Alabama Student-Athletes Step Outside the Familiar to Make Difference in the Community
10/7/2019 4:40:00 PM | General
Several Crimson Tide Student-Athletes took part in a pair of Habitat for Humanity weekends, the first in September and the second in October
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama sophomore gymnast Sania Mitchell is used to nailing vaults and senior Alba Cortina Pou is used to painting the lines with her return on the tennis court. What neither is used to is picking up a hammer and a paint brush to help build houses, but that's what the duo, along with dozens of their fellow Crimson Tide student-athletes, did over two weekends this fall.
"It's a good bonding exercise because we come out here and do things we're not used to doing" UA women's tennis player Alba Cortina Pou said. "It's stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something different. Just taking some time out of your day, you can really make a difference."
More than 50 University of Alabama student-athletes took part in a pair of Habitat for Humanity build weekends, with the first coming in September and the second in October. The different groups drove nails, prepared roofs for new shingles, painted and put down decking.
"I'm not used to getting up on a roof and ripping out shingles, but if that's how I can help, I'm all for it," UA women's basketball player Jordan Lewis said. "It's awesome to have to opportunity to give back to a community that means so much to us."
For Mitchell, who grew up in Tuscaloosa and now gets to compete in Coleman Coliseum where she used to cheer on the Tide as a child, the chance to come out on an October Saturday for her community is especially poignant.
"It means a lot to not only be a part of a program that allows us to continue in the sport that we love at the next level, but also be a part of something where we can reach out to the community around us and help out is really special," Mitchell said.
The Habitat for Humanity builds also gives student-athletes from other sports the chance to come together and get to know each other outside of their sport or season.
"It's a different deal, but it's awesome because you get to make friends that you wouldn't have made otherwise while helping other people," UA men's golfer Ben Fuller said. "Because of the support every sport receives from the community and how everyone supports us and wants us to succeed, we just want to give that back to them."
The Crimson Tide's Habitat for Humanity build weekends is just part of a year-long slate of programming designed to fulfill Alabama Life Skill's mission to provide opportunities for growth through personal development and service initiatives, empowering Crimson Tide student-athletes to be difference makers and people of positive influence as they pursue success at Alabama and beyond.
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