At Xavier, every sports team must volunteer at least once during its season. This stipulation started in 2020, during the height of COVID-19, as a way for the girls to impact the community while sports were paused. However, after reverting to normalcy, this volunteer tradition continued.
Sue Contreras, director of athletics, said, “We felt like it was time to contribute a little bit more to the athletic department.”
The volunteer projects among Xavier’s teams this season include freshwomen and JV volleyball teams packing bags for the homeless.The freshwomen tennis team assembled kits for the unhoused, including socks, toothbrushes, snacks and encouraging notes.
Badminton teams donated diapers to Maggie’s Place, an organization that serves mothers throughout the community. Cross country helps coordinate the Catholic Youth Athletic Association (CYAA) Middle School Cross Country Race. The flag football team donated socks to Lavender Ribbon Mission, an organization started by Xavier’s Logan Duncan ‘26 and Sofia Ondracek ‘26 in honor of loved ones affected by cancer; donated pet items to Cause for Paws, an animal shelter; and donated baby wipes to Maggie’s Place.
Each team allows players, parents and coaches to suggest ideas for their volunteer projects, and then they decide what their projects will be as collectives.
“Our project was suggested by a team parent, Joe Zielinski, also the principal at St. Louis the King Catholic School,” said badminton coach Brian McNerney.
These volunteer opportunities allow for teams to build stronger bonds with one another while also impacting the community. “We were able to bond on a deeper level outside of the gym. We had a common goal and we were able to all contribute to creating snack bags for the United Way Program,” said freshwomen and junior varsity volleyball coach, Chiazor Arah.
Not only does the community benefit from these volunteer efforts, but the student-athletes on and off the field and/or court, also benefit. Opportunities to volunteer give these young women a chance to see the world from a different perspective and allow for collaboration among those who wouldn’t otherwise do so.
“Taking time to engage in acts of charity nurtures more compassionate, empathetic young women. This empathy often strengthens the team dynamic, as players work toward a shared goal, reinforcing respect and kindness toward one another,” McNerney said.
All student-athletes and coaches appreciate the opportunity to volunteer together. The teams enjoy seeing all their hard work go toward a great cause.
“They love being able to help others and they love seeing the results of what they do,” said Contreras.
“It was clear how proud they were when they saw the final count of diapers and wipes collected over just a couple of weeks,” McNerney added.
This requirement for sports teams to volunteer is unlike that of other high schools, which is why Xavier’s athletic program is like no other. “Projects like this set us apart from other schools. Our program’s mission is to cultivate young women who strive to improve themselves, their teams, their school and their community,” said McNerney.
