Does Charity Begin at Home?

The question in collegiate sports has always been that of, “Do coaches and players have a responsibility to give back to the community?” When IUPUI coach Ron Hunter raised awareness for poverty in Africa by not wearing shoes at a game, many people started to talk. Hunter’s decision not to wear his shoes garnered the organization “Samaritan’s Feet” more than 100,000 pairs of shoes for the less fortunate.

In my opinion, all sports athletes, no matter what the sport or level of play, should be required to choose a charitable organization that they could represent for the season. It shouldn’t matter whether the person is a collegiate or professional player. If a college player has to bring recognition to a charity, then that may help change their attitudes about a lot of things in their lives. It may help them realize that although sports may be important, they are only a small portion of a person’s life and they shouldn’t consume every aspect of the player’s life. I guess what I am trying to say is that if a player is involved with a charity, they may realize that they are very lucky to be able to play sports and not take it for granted. The player’s eyes may be opened up to some of the world’s issues and maybe he can help raise awareness.

Mark Zadakis