The look on the children’s faces said it all. Cheering every Rattlers’ point, dancing along at every break and smiling non-stop, a group of Somali Bantu children looked as if they were being treated to the times of their lives over a pair of St. Mary’s volleyball matches last October.

Their many hardships were, momentarily at least, left behind.

Volleyball players and Somali children find common ground

Slaves in their homeland, the children—all girls, ranging from ages 9 to 17—came to Texas as refugees nearly six years ago. Life was rough back home, where several of the kids were said to have witnessed their parents’ murders.

Rattlers’ junior volleyball player Adrianna Keys heard about their unforgettable story from her fiancé, Jean Michel Yable, who hails from West Africa. Determined to do something—anything, really— to help these children, Keys established contact with Thomas Rein, a volunteer who had been assisting the kids in their efforts to adjust to American life.

“These kids have been through so much craziness,” said Keys, glowing with joy when surrounded by the children following one of those October volleyball matches. “It’s so great to see them happy like this, like nothing’s wrong. They’re amazing.”

Keys, you see, figured a night of fun on the volleyball court might lift the kids’ spirits. But she didn’t stop there. She has been volunteering as a coach for the children’s startup recreational volleyball team, developing quite a bond with the girls along the way. Just weeks into their friendship, several of the girls were already calling Keys “Mom.”

Keys says teaching her sport and hanging out with the girls—helping them to adjust to what must surely be an overwhelming situation—is the least she can do.

“It’s just another way to get them comfortable and interacting with other people,” said Keys, who along with the rest of the Lady Rattlers stayed long after their matches to spend more time with the girls. But Keys isn’t the only member in the St. Mary’s Athletics Department making a difference in the community...not by a long shot.

Rattlers keep the spirit of service alive

During their fall season, the entire volleyball team was part of an initiative called “Dig Pink,” the name of the breast cancer awareness rally that takes place in gyms all over the country during breast cancer awareness month (October). The goal of “Dig Pink” is to raise funds for research and “living with cancer” organizations. “The ‘Dig Pink’ event has a good tradition at St. Mary’s as well as throughout the volleyball community, and we truly enjoy taking part in it,” said volleyball Coach Jennifer Warmack-Chipman, whose squad sold baked goods and raffled off gameworn pink jerseys to benefit the Side-Out Foundation, which sponsors “Dig Pink.”

One never has to look too far to find someone whose life has been impacted by breast cancer, and that certainly holds true with the Lady Rattlers. Assistant Volleyball Coach Gary Payne lost his aunt to cancer in July. “Breast cancer research is an extremely important cause to support,” Warmack- Chipman said.

Another coach’s brainstorm didn’t involve helping save lives—just improving the lives of those who serve to protect each of us on a daily basis. And the idea came to life with the help of Lt. Col. David Guarriello, professor of military science at St. Mary’s, and St. Mary’s ROTC cadets, especially Susan St. Martin.

“Operation: Drive to the Basket” reaches out to deployed alumni

Men’s basketball Assistant Coach Bubba Meyer’s service initiative is one that gives back to the troops who are on active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. By launching “Operation: Drive to the Basket,” Meyer and the basketball team helped to raise goods and cash donations for St. Mary’s ROTC alumni who are deployed overseas.

“Along with coaching basketball, I teach some exercise science classes,” Meyer said. “I’ve had a bunch of ROTC kids in the past, and there are some of them I still stay in contact with.

“The University’s mission is largely based on service, and I don’t know what greater service there is than what those young kids are doing, being part of the ROTC program here and then deploying around the globe to take care of all of us back at home.” Each drive brought in hundreds of dollars of donations, at a minimum.

“Operation: Drive to the Basket” coincided with the men’s basketball team’s home opener last November, with goods collected on campus during the week leading up to the game and a grand fundraising event held during the opener. Care packages containing the accumulated goods were sent to the troops following the game.

Meyer had his basketball players join the St. Mary’s Marian Guard for hours in the Diamondback Café on campus, where together they collected donations and spread the word about their cause. Meyer himself even sprinted around campus, hanging posters to advertise the event in the days leading up to the game.

At the game, members of the Marian Guard passed around Kevlar helmets seeking cash donations every time the Rattlers made a 3-pointer. Fortunately, the Rattlers made several that night. Athletes, ROTC cadets, coaches and military science staff members collected everything from toothpaste to magazines. In all, nearly $350 in cash was raised at the game, to go along with nine duffle bags that were stuffed with goods to send to deployed Rattlers.

The donations were spread among several St. Mary’s ROTC alumni, including: 1st Lt. Barry Johnson-Rivera (B.A. ’08), 2nd Lt. Monique Recio Culver (B.A. ’09), Capt. Nicole Gonzalez (B.S. ’07), 2nd Lt. Robert Vadney (B.A. ’09), 2nd Lt. Andres Zermeno (B.A. ’08), and 1st Lt. Ricardo Delbrey (B.A. ’08), all of whom are stationed in Afghanistan, as well as 1st Lt. Daniel Garcia (B.B.A. ’07), who is in Iraq. In addition, “care packages” went to Afghanistan to 1st Lt. Alexandra Brenner, a graduate of University of the Incarnate Word and the St. Mary’s ROTC program, as well as 1st Lt. Brian Kemper, a longtime friend of the Rattler Battalion stationed in Afghanistan.

“‘Operation: Drive to the Basket’ was a simple thing we could do to try to raise some money, get some gifts and maybe put smiles on the faces of these courageous young alumni,” Meyer said. “I think it’s a good start. “And hopefully anybody hearing about this will take part next year, knowing what a good cause it’s going toward.”

Putting St. Mary’s mission into action: it’s become part of the Rattlers’ playbook.