When I think about my motivation to “Give Back”, it is and has never been dressed in the colors of red, white, and blue. My philanthropic philosophy stems from the understanding that as a part of the human race, giving back is not so much a choice as it is a necessity. My participation in sport and subsequent notoriety have only increased the level and scope to which I am able to impact others’ lives.
I have learned through the course of my life and my interaction with many of the athletes involved with Athletes for Hope that the attraction to a particular crusade is extremely personal. Whether it is a siblings battle with diabetes, a grandmothers fight to beat breast cancer, or a Gold Medalist’s mission to improve the lives of under privileged youth in her hometown, we all have our touchstones.
For me it was watching the daily financial and emotional struggles that my brother and our family endured as he fought his battle against aplastic anemia. The Mia Hamm Foundation was born in order to harness all of the emotion that was generated in watching my hero gracefully leave this earth. Through my brother’s memory, I wanted to alleviate some of the burdens that my family experienced. One of the main fundraising events we have each year is the Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge. Each January at the Home Depot Center, we bring celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment to Los Angeles, CA to play soccer and raise funds/awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and their families. Along with the thousands of dollars that are raised to benefit Children’s Hospital LA, we also focus and celebrate the importance of getting individuals to enroll in the National Bone Marrow Registry. I have always said the that the most precious gift of all is to give someone the gift of life.
Whatever choice you make and however you decide to give back, I believe that we all have an obligation to help those less fortunate than us, whether we are professional athletes or not.
Now, I’m challenging my friends, Misty May, Morgan Pressel, Warrick Dunn, and Julie Foudy to tell us what they think about athlete obligation. Let me know what YOU think too!
Katie Hooker on December 11th, 2009
Growing up playing soccer I had many coaches that influenced the player I was to become. I made it my personal goal to learn from each and every one of these people something specific about coaching. I was always intrigued by the decisions they have to make when preparing a team for competition. I wanted to know why we did certain things at practice and who was going to start the next game. I wanted to know things like what to say to people to motivate them and how to pick a captain. I would watch my coaches put down cones and talk to players and I would make mental notes of the drills we did and how our sessions went. For me coaching was inevitable, why because I wanted to give back. So now contemplating the question of whether or not as a professional athlete I am obligated to give back, it’s tough cause I am already doing that in other ways (as I am currently a coach for youth and college players alike). However, if someone came to me and said I was obligated to do something I would not want to comply. No one likes to be told to do anything you have to be driven internally to want to make a difference. Since we all made it to the professional level being driven then the equation is simple. When given the opportunity, I believe athletes will make the right choice.
Posted By Nicole Branagh on December 11th, 2009
The word “obligated” implies one must do something – even if he or she would rather not. As a professional athlete, I think it is an honor and a privilege to give back. Rather than feel “obligated,” I feel blessed that my career allows m…e the time and the opportunity to work in the community. My passion is working with kids; my motivation comes from the heart rather than from a rule book. While I truly love being a professional beach volleyball player, it, alone, does not define who I am. Volunteering is an important part of my life and I definitely “get” more than I “give.”
So, should a professional athlete be obligated to give back: No. Should athletes find something about which they are passionate and lend a helping hand: Yes. The result: Everyone wins.
Posted By Misty May on December 4th, 2009
Pro athletes are no more OBLIGATED than the rest of us. Of course we should want to help others and do our part to make a difference in the community. That is the best part of my the job, but if an athlete gives back because of obligation than it… is not genuine and will not ultimatley send the right message. What do you think Nicole Branagh , @jessmendoza
Posted By Christen Karniski on November 27th, 2009
Should professional athletes be obligated to give back to the community? My first instinct was to say YES, of course athletes should help those around them and use their high-profile profession to inspire others on a more personal basis than just on game-day. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that by obligating athletes to give back, it would diminish the impact of those who truly want to help and don’t just feel like they have to. I remember when I was a little girl I met a member of the U.S. National Team and I was awestruck. I stood in line forever just to get her autograph. But it quickly became apparent to me that the athlete didn’t really want to be there, and as a result I felt, more than anything, disappointment. Kids, parents, and fans can tell if an athlete, or anyone for that matter, really wants to be there, and I believe that if athletes are obligated to give back they could actually have a negative impact on those they are supposed to be helping. Yet those athletes who want to go out in the community and make a difference in the lives of individuals have the ability to truly change someone’s life for the better. So no, I do not believe professional athletes should be obligated to give back to the community; but I do believe they should choose to do so. By taking just a few hours out of each week to help others out, whether it’s in the role of a professional athlete or even as an anonymous volunteer, we can positively impact our communities and help those who need it most.
Christen Karniski
Posted By Erin McLeod on November 27th, 2009
Obligation or Opportunity?
Hello my name is Erin McLeod. I am an athlete who plays soccer for the Washington Freedom in the new WPS league. I also have been playing for the Canadian National team for almost a decade and started doing volunteer work with them.
Athletes for Hope came and did a presentation on what volunteer work meant to everyone, whether it was an opportunity to give back to the communities or whether it was an obligation. This is my first year as a professional athlete and there is no doubt when you are training full time and not having to work a part-time job on top of it you have more free time. I in no way do I think it is an obligation to give back as a professional athlete but because there is only a certain amount of training per day there is more time to do other things.
In the past I have done some volunteer work with the national team whether it was coaching or visiting a children’s hospital, which I thought was an incredible experience. However, before this year I never did any volunteer work on my own. After meeting with Athletes for Hope and already knowing what our schedule with the Freedom was I knew I would have the time to give back and still be able to focus on my sport. There were several activities that I participated in right away; reading to a underprivileged class of young children, attending a prom at a children’s hospital (where Johanna Lohman and I danced up at storm), and also becoming involved with Doorways for women, which is an organization that helps women and families who have been affected by domestic abuse.
I never expected to go to these events getting much more out of the experience than I put in. Working with children especially has been such a wonderful opportunity because of the way they find happiness in all situations. It is refreshing when some of the athletes are far from home and you can meet some of these people for the first time and you feel as though they need your help, I guess it is a selfish way of looking at it, but it makes you want to be there for them every chance you get.
I once thought that the best way to give back was to write a check and because there isn’t a lot of money in women’s soccer I have never been able to do so but I have been wrong all along. Giving back is about the quality of the time you put in, not necessarily the quantity. Every time I give back I know I am doing the right thing but I think the reason it is so rewarding is because I choose to be there when I can instead of feeling like I have to. I am so grateful I have been able to work with Athletes for Hope I feel like because of the opportunities they have set up for me I am becoming a better person and realizing that there is so much more to life than just sport.
Posted By Sue Weber on November 27th, 2009
Perhaps the greatest power we have as human beings is the ability to impact the life of another person. Whether our life leads us to a position of power, popularity, or simply to a place where we are engaged in the rigors of the average person’s day to day life, our contacts with persons of all ages and experiences remain endless. Albert Einstein is credited for once stating, “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” However, it’s up to each person to recognize the moments where their influence can be injected into the life of another and to make use of these opportunities simply because of our ability to do so.
The circumstances and resources which affect the lives of people, while possibly similar, are never identical. For example, two professional athletes may have very different financial circumstances and therefore not be in the same position to contribute financial resources for the benefit of another. Similarly, a college athlete and a professional athlete’s ability to contribute personal time and services may be very different because of personal circumstances. Whatever the case may be, whoever the person may be, the value of one’s contribution back to the general community is beyond measure when it impacts the lives of another person.
Our society conceptually believes that we are obligated to give back to our respective communities. This fundamental belief is evidenced in so many ways. During my childhood years it was common to hear of “community service” requirements for students graduating high school or participating in certain school sponsored clubs. We are often educated to help those who are less fortunate and less learned. I can recall volunteering time at the soup kitchen at a local church to satisfy my community service obligation necessary to graduate. Additionally, I can recall my first volunteer experience with the Access Sports of America in Boston where I had an opportunity to interact with physically disabled children. I remember feeling good about my contribution, particularly after looking at the faces of the people I had supported.
In taking a look back at my days as a child I can fondly recall many influences in my life which have helped shape my life. I do not feel that any one particular person, professional athlete or not, is obligated to perform certain tasks simply because they have reached a certain status in life. Instead, I believe we are obligated to one another as people who are powerful enough to make a difference in each other’s life for the better. With great power and success comes great responsibility. With humanity comes the obligation to preserve society. The challenge is recognizing the opportunity and satisfying your commitment.
I don’t believe in mandatory obligations for professional athletes to contribute back to their community. Instead, I believe that contributing back to your community is a necessary and inherent quality in order to be revered as a true professional athlete. My main motivation for contributing back to my community is to say thank you for all that I have been able to achieve through the support of the community. The opportunity to make a contribution has value that compounds with every contact and influence.
Posted By Alison Bartosik on November 27th, 2009
Athletes need to give back to their community and sport. There are many networks that allow athletes to succeed: family, coaches, teammates, friends, cities, governing bodies, etc. There is merit to the statement that it takes a village. That said, I think obligation is a harsh term to use for advocacy. It shouldn’t feel cold or contractual, but it should be a personal and wonderful choice that is made for the right reasons. Only then do all parties benefit from a long lasting and fulfilling relationship.
Alison Bartosik
2004 Olympian Synchronized Swimming – Duet & Team Double Bronze Medalist
Posted By Emily Janss on November 27th, 2009
I am 31 years old now and have been playing soccer since I was 5 years old. I had no idea where soccer was going to lead me. I turned pro the first time after college and played on the New York Power, for three years before the league suspended operation. AKA all of us playing in the WUSA who were not on the National Team had to move on to jobs in the real world or go play in another country that offered professional women’s soccer leagues. What a bummer after having felt the passion, enjoyment and excitement of playing professionally. I understood at that point how much of an impact I could have based on my success with my sport. I felt an obligation to women’s soccer to pass along every ounce of positive energy I had to everyone I came into contact with. I believe it should be every athletes’ priority to give back to their community and help in anyway they can, as long as it is within reason. There should be a level of responsibility to lend a hand, an athlete does not have to donate all the money they have to a cause, but time is a very powerful thing to give. At every level from the local sports club team to the Pro football player who makes millions a game, there should be an underlying responsibility to be a role model.
Emily Janss, Professional Soccer Player
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