Sport Awareness Day at Endicott
Beverly, MA --Students at Endicott College in Sport Management, Physical Education, and Athletic Training are combining their efforts to organize a Sport Awareness Day highlighted by a Wheelchair Basketball Game on Wednesday, September 26th starting at 10:00 am and continuing throughout the day until 8:30 pm in the Post Center, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly. The events are free and open to the public.
The day will be filled with guest speakers who will address students and the general community on adaptive sport, competitive sport for all, and dealing with physical challenges in the sport world. Professor Dina Gentile has spearheaded this event so that community members can learn more about the challenges disabled and special athletes face in their daily lives and sport endeavors.
The event will be capped with a Will Power Wheelchair Basketball Game featuring the New England Blazers and teams comprised of Endicott students, coaches, and faculty members. The game is named after Will Archibald who was an Endicott College alum who inspired so many by his “will” to face adversity after sustaining a serious injury which left him paralyzed. Will passed away in January and the event donations and corporate sponsorships are now funds for a new scholarship in Will’s memory.
In order to support the Will Archibald Scholarship Fund, Endicott students are reaching out to corporate sponsors and individual donors. In addition to the scholarship, students will be raising the profile of the New Blazers Wheelchair Basketball team (featured in the event) and the Positive Coaching Alliance.
The Positive Coaching Alliance has provided guest speakers throughout the academic year to assist in organizing the event. On November 4th Endicott College will host a Youth Sport Summit on campus with the Positive Coaching Alliance aimed at volunteer sport organizations and coaches.
Korrio, Inc. (a major sport automation company) was the first national sponsor to support the event and support their ideal that sport participation for all should be celebrated. Local based Pride’s Deli is sponsoring a student wheelchair team in the game and will give the group 5% of its sales from Endicott purchases on Pride Day (September 27th). The North Shore YMCA has provided guest speakers including Victoria Arlen current gold medal contender in 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Wilmington, MA based Champions Choice generously supplied t-shirts to support the teams playing the NE Blazers in the wheelchair games. The students are still securing sponsorship and any interested companies or donors can contact Dr.
Gentile directly.
For more information or specific schedule of activities, please contact Professor of Sport Management, Dina Gentile at dgentile@endicott.edu or 978-232-2430 or go online: http://ecgulls.com/sportawareness.