Competing Teams Come Together for Betterment of Others  

Cate Zavitz | Lexi's Day | Griffin's Game
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – Success in collegiate athletics comes in many forms.
 
Winning championships, graduating student-athletes and preparing young people for accomplishment following their collegiate careers are just a few hallmarks of a successful athletics department.
 
While the Kennesaw State University Department of Athletics has gained notoriety in all the above categories, one of its greatest purposes is impacting lives and displaying sportsmanship in competition.
  Under head coach Agnus Beranato, the women's basketball program has hosted Education Day, Play4Kay Day and, through Team IMPACT, honored its "Little Sister", Cate Zavitz, a 10-year old girl who the Owls adopted in January of 2107. Zavitz was diagnosed with Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis (ARCI) – A form of skin disease in which her skin grows too fast where she has excess skin on her body, causing her body to overheat easily which decreases her ability to sweat and control her body temperature.
 
Led by Beranato, and joined by Al Skinner's men's team, and the FGCU men's and women's basketball teams, everyone in attendance serenated Zavitz with a rendition of Happy Birthday in between games of their doubleheader on Jan. 20.

With Zavitz beaming from ear-to-ear, the gesture by all four teams highlighted the sportsmanship and service to community that is prevalent in collegiate athletics, and the impact it can have on a multitude of people.

"These initiatives where our athletic teams give back to Cobb County, our local communities and greater Metro Atlanta Community as a whole, defines the goodness of sports," Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton said. "The image of two teams coming together after a hard-fought game, and two other teams combining forces prior to competing, captures what is uniquely great about college athletics.

"To have all these teams come together and rally a fan base to help a young girl like Cate feel special on her birthday, embodies the spirit of community and sportsmanship, and is representative of the best of us as Americans," Overton added. "It is a great example of people putting aside their differences and interests to help others."

The adoption of Zavitz as an honorary "Little Sister" is one of several examples that shine a light on the commitment made by the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics to impact lives while spotlighting sportsmanship and community service.

That level of sportsmanship and respect was also on display following the Kennesaw State-Army women's lacrosse game on March, 14, 2017. Following a 15-14 KSU victory, each member of the Owls' team gave a hand-written note of thanks and appreciation to each member of the Army team thanking them for their service to the country.
 
Education Day, which brought 1,000 local elementary students to the KSU Convocation Center for the women's basketball versus NJIT on Feb. 1, has a goal of building excitement for ASUN Conference women's basketball and providing engaging educational programs that include age appropriate work books and on-screen videos. It exposes students to collegiate women's basketball while providing them with educational experiences and learning the benefit of staying in school.
 
Play4Kay Day is a nationwide women's basketball initiative named in memory of Kay Yow, who was a former women's basketball head coach at North Carolina State, who passed away from breast cancer in 2009. Kennesaw State held its annual Play4Kay Day February 3 versus USC Upstate.
 
For a decade, the KSU softball team, under the leadership of Scott Whitlock, senior associate athletics director and former head coach, has partnered with the Alexis Kaiser Foundation to assist young people who suffer with a neuromuscular disease. Each spring, Kennesaw State takes advantage of its annual home game with Georgia Tech to hold Lexi's Day.
 
The Owls and Yellow Jackets don purple and pink t-shirts, respectively, during warm-ups then come together for a pregame ceremony that includes the presentation of some type of item that will help make a young person's life a little better.
 
Fans and athletics staff generously make a $10 contribution to the Kaiser Foundation and are rewarded with a meal from the Marietta Fish Market.
   
Under head coach Keith Schunzel, the KSU women's volleyball team hosts an annual Griffin's Game, in honor of Schunzel's young son, Griffin, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March of 2015. After the outpouring of support that Keith and his wife, Brianna, received, the family felt compelled to give back and help others in similar situations.
 
Each year since 2015, the Kennesaw State volleyball team chooses a family to honor at one of its games and raises money to help with their medical expenses. A commemorative t-shirt is designed and sold for $10 with all proceeds going to the designated family.
   
Kennesaw State student-athletes are also significantly involved in community service as they registered a record-4,000 hours of community service by partnering with organizations and non-profits during the 2016-17 academic year. The list of organizations includes MUST Ministries, Boys & Girls Club of Atlanta, Special Olympics Georgia, Children's Health Care of Atlanta and Rise Against Hunger.
 
Under Overton, who is in his first year as Director of Athletics, the goal of the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics is to reach greater heights while expanding its reach to serve and impact the lives of others.
 
 To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State athletics news follow the Owls on Twitter @KSUOwlNation or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook. To learn more about The Owls Fund visit www.ksuowls.com/theowlsfund. 
 

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