Northwestern Women's Basketball Hosts Zoom Event With The Airhearts
2/12/2021 4:02:00 PM | 'Cats Give Back
The 'Cats Give Back program seeks to enhance the overall educational experience of student-athletes by connecting Wildcats to service-oriented and philanthropic activities in the Evanston and Chicago communities. The program is supported by Northwestern Medicine and their commitment to creating better communities, now and into the future.
Although the pandemic has created challenges to in-person volunteering, Northwestern student-athletes have found creative ways to continue interactions with the Evanston community.
As an example, on Tuesday, February 9, five members on the women's basketball team connected through zoom with the Airhearts, a non-profit girls' basketball team located on the North Shore of Chicago.
The five Wildcats who attended the zoom event include Jordan Hamilton, Anna Morris, Brooke Pikiell, Lindsey Pulliam, and Sydney Wood. As soon as the student-athletes joined the meeting, they were greeted by a group of young girls in the third to sixth grade who were eager to meet them and excited to learn more about their basketball careers.
The event kicked off with introductions, where student-athletes shared why they chose Northwestern, how old they were when they started playing basketball, and, on a lighter note, their favorite WNBA and NBA players.
Following introductions, the student-athletes led discussions on three topics related to game and practice preparation, nutrition, and goal-setting.
Lindsey Pulliam kicked off the first topic by describing what her typical pregame routine looks like and what she does outside of practice to perform on the court. She also elaborated on the importance of playing great defense and the "Blizzard" scheme.
When reflecting on the questions she received, Pulliam states, "It reminded me that there is always someone that looks up to us, and it's our job to make sure we're setting a great example. Knowing that I'm one of their role models makes me want to continue to be the best I can be on and off the court and continue to inspire them to be great."
Sydney Wood took the lead discussing the role nutrition plays in athletic performance. Wood shared a "Winning Plate" graphic that showed what food groups need to be represented on a plate to achieve a balanced diet. These food groups include: fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein.
Anna Morris concluded the three discussions by sharing her thoughts about the importance of setting goals. During this section, participants were asked to write down on a piece of paper 1-3 goals they hope to achieve this year.
Jordan Hamilton and Brooke Pikiell added invaluable insight into all three matters and answered many questions that appeared in the closing Q&A.
"The experience allowed me to reflect on the preparation that goes into doing something like basketball and the outside factors that contribute to it. I think we left a positive impact on the team in the sense that we were able to assure them that life's not set in stone but that it takes self-evaluation to get the most out of it", said Hamilton.
As part of this year's 'Cats Give Back programming, one community outreach initiative will be featured every month through the 12 Months of Giving program.
Although the pandemic has created challenges to in-person volunteering, Northwestern student-athletes have found creative ways to continue interactions with the Evanston community.
As an example, on Tuesday, February 9, five members on the women's basketball team connected through zoom with the Airhearts, a non-profit girls' basketball team located on the North Shore of Chicago.
The five Wildcats who attended the zoom event include Jordan Hamilton, Anna Morris, Brooke Pikiell, Lindsey Pulliam, and Sydney Wood. As soon as the student-athletes joined the meeting, they were greeted by a group of young girls in the third to sixth grade who were eager to meet them and excited to learn more about their basketball careers.
The event kicked off with introductions, where student-athletes shared why they chose Northwestern, how old they were when they started playing basketball, and, on a lighter note, their favorite WNBA and NBA players.
Following introductions, the student-athletes led discussions on three topics related to game and practice preparation, nutrition, and goal-setting.
Lindsey Pulliam kicked off the first topic by describing what her typical pregame routine looks like and what she does outside of practice to perform on the court. She also elaborated on the importance of playing great defense and the "Blizzard" scheme.
When reflecting on the questions she received, Pulliam states, "It reminded me that there is always someone that looks up to us, and it's our job to make sure we're setting a great example. Knowing that I'm one of their role models makes me want to continue to be the best I can be on and off the court and continue to inspire them to be great."
Sydney Wood took the lead discussing the role nutrition plays in athletic performance. Wood shared a "Winning Plate" graphic that showed what food groups need to be represented on a plate to achieve a balanced diet. These food groups include: fruits, vegetables, dairy
Anna Morris concluded the three discussions by sharing her thoughts about the importance of setting goals. During this section, participants were asked to write down on a piece of paper 1-3 goals they hope to achieve this year.
Jordan Hamilton and Brooke Pikiell added invaluable insight into all three matters and answered many questions that appeared in the closing Q&A.
"The experience allowed me to reflect on the preparation that goes into doing something like basketball and the outside factors that contribute to it. I think we left a positive impact on the team in the sense that we were able to assure them that life's not set in stone but that it takes self-evaluation to get the most out of it", said Hamilton.
As part of this year's 'Cats Give Back programming, one community outreach initiative will be featured every month through the 12 Months of Giving program.
'Cats Give Back - Family Focus of Evanston Food Drive (12/6/19)
Friday, December 06
Swimming & Diving - Breast Stroke for Breast Cancer
Wednesday, December 04
Northwestern Community Service Day 2017
Tuesday, June 13
'Cats Give Back - Softball Volunteers with Toys for Tots
Wednesday, November 30
