Tiger Soccer Will get within the Recreation – Hampden-Sydney Faculty Athletics

February 03, 2025
Hampden-Sydney Faculty Soccer acquired the Nationwide Marrow Donor Program’s Get within the Recreation Rookie of the 12 months Award for his or her impactful bone marrow swab drive held in April 2024.
The Hampden-Sydney group is deeply dedicated to selfless service and making a distinction within the lives of others. By partnering with impactful organizations, members of the Faculty reside out its mission in highly effective methods—typically even saving lives. Hampden-Sydney Soccer exemplified this dedication by internet hosting a bone marrow swab drive that earned them the Get within the Recreation Rookie of the 12 months Award from the Nationwide Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).
In keeping with the group’s web site, the NMDP is a “world nonprofit group that helps save the lives of sufferers with blood cancers and issues.” Via blood stem cell donations, sufferers are given a second probability at life. The Get within the Recreation program, based by Andy Talley, former head soccer coach at Villanova College, was established in 2008 in collaboration with the NMDP and the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Basis. This impactful program faucets into the ability of school athletics by recruitment occasions and team-driven efforts to encourage college students and student-athletes to affix the NMDP Registry as potential donors, making an enduring impression on these in want.
“It’s extremely necessary to contain our gamers and the Hampden-Sydney campus in occasions like this as a result of lives are at stake,” says Head Soccer Coach Vince Luvara. “The NMDP highlighted the pressing want for matches, making this an unbelievable alternative to make a distinction.”
On April 10, 2024, the Hampden-Sydney soccer group joined forces with two NMDP representatives to arrange the group’s tent. Over the subsequent 5 hours, the group labored in hour-long shifts, taking their very own cheek swabs and actively recruiting fellow college students passing by to affix the registry. Their aim was to gather as many swabs as attainable to maximise the possibilities of saving lives.
As college students handed by the tent on the Pannill Commons entrance, group gamers would ask, “Would you want to avoid wasting a life as we speak?” This straightforward query sparked curiosity, drawing college students in to learn the way they may doubtlessly be a match for somebody in want of a donor. As soon as engaged, they have been guided on tips on how to correctly swab their cheeks—a fast and straightforward course of for a trigger that might make a life-saving impression. Ultimately, over 200 new members have been recruited to the NMDP Registry.
“It was nice to see the success we had right here,” Luvara says. “For sure, I’m happy with our group’s effort in addition to the scholars’ eagerness and selflessness in getting concerned.”
The occasion had a profound impression, with college students honoring their dedication by exceptional acts of selflessness. In October 2024, Peyton Lambert ’27 was recognized as a match for a 63-year-old leukemia affected person and donated his stem cells, saving a life. Equally, Owen Williams ’26 was recognized as a match and intends to donate plasma within the close to future—a real testomony to his unbelievable and selfless character.
“We now have improbable college students right here at Hampden-Sydney who’re selfless and leap at alternatives to assist others in want,” says Assistant Soccer Coach Ryan Wilson. “Our gamers delivered in an enormous manner when requested to assist recruit their friends to the NMDP tent to get swabbed, and the group felt a private duty to get as many individuals as attainable concerned. The numbers we have been in a position to obtain are a testomony to their dedication to this nice trigger and the tightly bonded brotherhood at Hampden-Sydney.”
In January, Hampden-Sydney Soccer employees traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend the annual American Soccer Coaches Affiliation Conference, the place they have been honored with the award. The popularity was offered by Krista Ross, their important level of contact at NMDP, and Andy Talley.
The dedication and selflessness demonstrated by Hampden-Sydney Soccer exemplify the values Hampden-Sydney strives to uphold. Via the efforts of people who step up and honor their dedication, extra lives shall be saved, and the Faculty’s mission of forming good males and good residents shall be upheld.
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