In the Community

It comes at the busiest time of year. Mid-December finds the Crimson Tide gymnasts working in overdrive, getting ready for the season, studying for finals that are just days away and the holidays are right around the corner, so there is shopping to be done for Christmas gifts and planning to be done for the upcoming trip home.

But there is at least one December day every year when the Tide gymnasts put aside all their stress and worries and the smiles come often and wide. For more than 15 years, the Alabama Gymnastics team takes one afternoon just before exams hit, and welcomes the children of the Stallings' RISE Center for their annual Christmas Party, entertaining them in the Tide's practice gym. It is a party that always includes a visit from Santa.

"They come into the gym and they have so much energy and they have such a good time that no matter what else is going on in your life, you can't help but smile and have a great time," senior Ricki Lebegern said. "It's a busy time, but it's something we really look forward to every year, you just laugh the whole time."

The RISE Christmas party is far from the only foray Alabama gymnasts make into the area of community service, though it is the most long-standing project. Whether it is speaking to local school children about staying away from drugs and alcohol, organizing a bake sale to raise funds for Project Angel Tree, painting faces and helping school children with their somersaults during the Tide's annual Halloween Extravaganza or helping to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer with the "Power of Pink" meet, Alabama gymnasts are busy throughout the community.

For Sarah Patterson such selfless giving by her athletes ranks right up there with winning national championships and is right in line with the program's central goal of developing the entire person.

"In the grand scheme of things, we are trying to develop the most balanced student-athlete possible," Patterson said. "That balance includes helping out where we can. There is no doubt that our ladies understand the importance of giving back, of stepping up to help where they can. It is one of the aspects of this program that I am most proud of."

In 2002, two-time NCAA Champion Andreé Pickens earned the Southeastern Conference Community Service award for her tireless work in the Tuscaloosa and University communities.

"The community has already given so much to this team in terms of support," Pickens, now a member of the Tide's compliance staff, said. "When you have crowds in excess of 10,000, it's a great tribute to our program. This is our small way to give to them."

And the Tide continues to roll in this crucial area. Lebegern was named to the Southeastern Conference's Community Service Team the last two seasons while Courtney Priess earned the honor in 2007, Dana Pierce in 2005 and 2006 and former All-American Stephanie Kite was named to the team in 2004.

It's important to note that Patterson does not press her athletes to participate in community service. Individual efforts are strictly voluntary. But each athlete finds their own way to make a difference, from working in soup kitchens to visiting the elderly at assisted living facilities and nearly every gymnast has encouraged schoolchildren through various speaking engagements.

"Any time you have a recognizable student-athlete volunteering her time, it shows people in the community the type of individuals we have involved in our program," Patterson said. "Community service helps our student-athletes to realize that winning and losing aren't the entire game. The collegiate experience should be about the experiences of life. Our involvement with these programs does just that."