Putting their talent to good use off the field has scored the University of Illinois Springfield women's soccer team a huge victory.
The Prairie Stars were recognized this week for their community service. UIS is the winner of the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative's year-long Touching Lives Campaign. It is a competition for women's college teams throughout the nation. They are judged on how many lives they can "touch" or affect in their communities through service projects.
“The whole team was pretty shocked we won it," UIS freshman midfielder Madisyn Coudriet said. "Being collegiate athletes, we have a lot of younger eyes on us at all times. We want to make sure we’re setting a good example as leaders of the community, so they can look up to us, then one day they can maybe become an athlete that gives back to the community.”
UIS finished first and the Texas Christian University women’s basketball team was runner-up.
“I’m not having to beg them to do any of this stuff,” UIS women’s soccer coach Molly Grisham said. “They’re coming to me and saying ‘We want to do this.”
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on May 1, 2015.
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