Athletes reach out to New Haven community

Acronyms are certainly not lacking in the Yale community: WLH, PWG, CCL, and LC are a few that everyone knows. But who's heard about COC, a program at Yale that's been quietly enriching lives on campus and the community? Community Outreach Council, run through the Yale Athletic Department, gives varsity athletes the opportunity to get involved in the New Haven community.

Founded in February 1995, the committee is led by a group of student athletes, with the support of Assistant Athletic Director Tim Ford. The COC chairs meet monthly to organize and plan the events. Among the most popular are Youth Days, Sports Clinics, Vincent Muro Elementary Tutoring Visits, and Yale/New Haven Hospital visits.

Once the events—usually six or seven per month—are planned, teams are notified about the opportunities, and athletes, individually and with teammates, decide which projects they want to support.

Volleyball player Vanessa Herald, ES '02, one of the COC chairs, is one of a select group that leads the program to its success, which can be attributed to the consistent participation of the student-athletes as well as Ford's guidance. "COC is so great because we, as students, have a tons of flexibility to get involved with whatever programs we want to," Herald said.

The biggest event of the year is Olympic Youth Day, held both in the fall and spring. Children from around New Haven come to Yale's campus and spend time with athletes in organized and informal activities, each sponsored by a different team. "[Olympic Youth Day] was really rewarding because we got to play with the kids and teach them skills that they probably would not learn in their [physical education] class at school," ice hockey player Kaitlin Porcaro, SY '03, said.

The newest addition to the COC menu is the Vincent Muro Mentor Program. Started by soccer player Ciara McCormack, SM '01, two years ago, the program brings teams into the classroom at Vincent Muro Elementary to mentor and tutor students. The weekly visits provide New Haven students with real-life scholar-athlete role models and expose Yale students to the community.

Colette Fitzgerald, SY '01, who participated in the program last year, praises the program. "It was great to see the kids on a weekly basis. At the end of the year, we went to an assembly that they put on...it was really rewarding to develop relationships with the children and provide positive examples for them," Fitzgerald said.

Hospital visits are another way that COC impacts the community. Teams travel together to cheer up children at the Yale/New Haven Hospital, bringing autographed memorabilia and personal attention. Rob Mutter, CC '02, communicates with the hospital and serves as a mediator between the two organizations. "It is really uplifting to see the kids smile. After all that they go through in the hospital, they are so happy to have visitors, and receive get-well gifts," Mutter said.

COC thrives on the participation of the athletic community. "We are really lucky to have so much support from the athletes, from the coaches, and also the community," Ford said.

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