Nicci Spends the Day at Winbourne Elementary

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NICCI KELLY (11-19-09):
Today I experienced a lot of firsts...not only did I go on my first school visit today to Winbourne Elementary School, but I also rode there on my first time in the VAN WAGON (that wagon has some great pick up speed :). It was Allison Laughlin, one of our managers, and myself on the trip and it was a rewarding experience. When we arrived we met principle Wilkinson in the office and she led us to the library to wait on the class that I would be speaking to. When the class arrived I began addressing to them about the importance of valuing their education and respecting their parents and teachers. There was one question I asked them that elicited a great response from the class. I simply asked, "What are some of your dreams?" About 20 hands shot straight up in the air with an eagerness to tell the whole world what their aspirations were...optometrist, police officer, teacher, professional athlete, movie star, dancer, just to name a few. I was inspired by such great hopes and dreams and told them that through hard work, goal setting, and perseverance, that anything is possible. I can remember back in the day being in their shoes and hoping one day to see my dreams come to fruition. What an honor to be living one of them out now and to be able to inspire young children to one day do the same! The Lady Tiger Way!

 

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

BREC Coaching Clinic

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COACH STARKEY (11-13-09):

One of the great things that has happened over the past few years is out joint relationship with BREC. One of the things I've discovered is the massive amount of programs that BREC sponsors and the tremendous commitment on behalf of their staff to create an environment of excellence in all areas. This summer we did a huge clinic for BREC at the Baton Rouge Sports Academy which was good for BREC but was also a wonderful opportunity for our team to be involved in a community program. Last night our coaching staff put on a clinic for the youth coaches in the BREC league and it was a wonderful evening with some very dedicated people that volunteer their time to work with young people. BREC gets it and we are proud to be a "friend' in their mission.

 

Filed under  //  Community   Off the Court  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Van Wagon Sighting: Denham Springs

Fans loved the Van Wagon last night in Denham Springs as the Lady Tigers spend time with over 100 young kids.

 

Filed under  //  Community   Marketing & Promotions   Van Chancellor  
Posted by Bill Martin  

PARDS: Past and Present

 

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BOB STARKEY (11-6-09):

What a great time last night with the kids, parents and directors of PARDS in Denham Springs! I very much enjoyed myself for a lot of reasons. First and foremost it brought back great memories of a special Lady Tiger -- Katrina Hibbert. We first started our relationship with PARDS because Katrina had played at Denham Springs High School and it was an annual event in those days to take Katrina and the Lady Tigers there to spend some time with the kids of PARDS. We also had some surprise guest last night. Delia Taylor, another Lady Tiger alumni who resides in the Denham Springs area came by with her husband and daughter. She was kind enough to take some time at the end and talk to our team. It is invaluable to me that our current players hear from those who paid a price and sacrificed for us to have an elite program now. We were also visited by Tasmin Mitchell's grandmother. Tasmin of course was also a standout at DSHS and you can tell his smile and personality has been handed down from his grandmother.

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers working hard on their GPA Program

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You've no doubt noticed that your Lady Tigers have been out in the community a great deal and especially involved with young kids in schools. It all be design and part of a program that Lady Tigers have started called GPA -- which stands for Goals, Perseverance and Achievement. They are joined in partnership with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.


"One of the important things about being a collegiate basketball program is the way you can effect young people and communities beyond the basketball court," said Van Chancellor. "Giving back has always been a priority for Lady Tiger Basketball and we are proud to continue that legacy."


To read more about the GPA Program and it's success, read the following article from our SID Bill Martin: http://bit.ly/3UkYUU

Filed under  //  Community   In the Classroom   Marketing & Promotions  
Posted by Bill Martin  

A Great Evening With PARDS in Denham Springs

 

ALI LAUGHLIN (9-6-09):
Last night I was asked to attend the PARDS clinic and put my new found photography skills to work. As the “official” team photographer for the night, I was able to witness some of our players at their best and worst (in Katherine Graham’s case). Each of our six players that attended were assigned to a station to teach the kids some fundamentals of the game. Destini Hughes had ball handling while Allison Hightower, Adrienne Webb, Jasmine Nelson, Taylor Booze, and Katherine Graham had shooting stations. Katherine decided she wanted to challenge her kids to a game of Knockout and in the process was herself knocked out in the second round!! It was quite entertaining to watch the kids delight, and surprise, that they had put out one of our Lady Tigers! Allison also got into the spirit and helped one little boy dunk since he just could not get the ball in the hoop, even with her wonderful teaching skills! Even Coach Starkey and Coach Travis got in the action by signing autographs and visiting with the HUGE group of kids that attended. Overall the night was a huge success with no child leaving without wanting to come to a Lady Tigers game! And as if that wasn’t enough I was allowed to drive the famed Van Wagon!!! After my van experience my day was complete, even if it was just around the corner!

 

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Posted by Bill Martin  

Ally Candidate for CLASS Award

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (11-4-09):
LSU senior guard Allison Hightower is one of 30 student-athletes who have been named as candidates for the 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented to women’s college basketball’s top student-athlete that excels both on and off the floor, it was announced on Wednesday. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition.

Hightower, the 2010 Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, returns as the leader of an LSU team that reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round a season ago. She averaged 14.9 points per game, which ranked fifth in the SEC, and she led LSU in five other categories as well. Hightower has played in 105 career games and seeks to become the 28th Lady Tiger to reach the 1,000-point plateau and the first since Sylvia Fowles as she sits at 943 career points. In LSU’s two 2009 NCAA Tournament contests, Hightower posted 23.5 points and 4.0 assists.

Even more impressive has been Hightower’s efforts in the classroom and the community. Since her arrival at LSU in 2006, Hightower has spoken to children at schools in the Baton Rouge area and even put on basketball clinics. She has played a vital role in the Lady Tigers’ new Grades Perseverance Achievement (GPA) program that honors education in the Baton Rouge area.

Last week, Hightower joined former LSU point guard and 2009 WNBA champion Temeka Johnson at Southeast Middle School in Baton Rouge as the two addressed the importance of staying in school and the values of hard work. On Tuesday, Hightower and the Lady Tigers attended Family Literacy Night at Woodlawn Middle School.

In the classroom, Hightower was a member of the 2009 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.


From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in late January. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote beginning Feb. 3 and concluding March 17. Fan balloting will then be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. The winner will be announced in early April at 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. For more information visit www.seniorCLASSaward.com.

Filed under  //  Community  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Coach Chancellor's First Ride in the Van Wagon

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TOM HARLUKOWICZ (11-04-09):
Despite being at a number of the same appearances already, today was Coach Chancellor’s first ride in the Van Wagon. As you would expect, Coach did not disappoint.

This afternoon, I drove Coach through campus to show off his new ride to the LSU student body. A few impromptu stops were also made to hand out the new Van Is My Homeboy t-shirts, which are hot off the presses. Needless to say, there were quite a few surprised faces when Coach Chancellor was hanging out of the Van Wagon giving out t-shirts.

Make sure to watch The Lady Tiger Way blog, twitter and www.JumpOnTheVanWagon.com to find out where Coach Chancellor and the Van Wagon will be next, handing out t-shirts and meeting the fans.

 

Filed under  //  Community   Marketing & Promotions   Van Chancellor  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Doing the Autograph Thing

JASMINE NELSON (11-4-09):
I realize that I haven't been at LSU long -- I'm barely starting on my fifth month as a Lady Tiger -- but I've signed about a thousand autographs already! People really love our team and it is so evident every time we show up somewhere. Each place has long lines with people wanting our signatures on posters, shirts, basketballs and anything else they can find. I'm not complaining though -- it's an awesome feeling. Last night at Woodlawn Middle School we signed autographs for over an hour. The people there were so nice -- it was an enjoyable evening. Another thing that was kind of cool is that I got interview by one of the students for their school newspaper!

 

Filed under  //  Community   Off the Court   Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Lovin' the Kids!

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ALLISON HIGHTOWER (11-4-09):
One of the perks of our community service is getting to hang out with so many of our fans and my favorites are the kids -- the crack me up! Last night a large number of our team went to Woodlawn Middle School to help them with a big program that including reading, basketball drills, awards and signing autographs and all night long we were entertained by are these kids. You can really tell that this was a special school by the way the students conducted themselves and how the teachers cared about everyone. But the best part of the night was hanging with the kids!

 

Filed under  //  Community   Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin