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Our Athletes In the Community

Besides scoring 10's on the mats and earning A's in the classroom, our student athletes are also involved in the local community. Members of the Gym Team spend many hours working with local schools, hospitals, and community organizations. Here are a few of the projects that the girls have given their time to:

K-grams Night - The annual K-grams Night is a special gym meet that invites over 1,000 local elementary students to attend a U-M Women's Gymnastics meet. Free tickets for the elementary fans are graciously donated by the Athletic Department. Many special events occur throughout the night, including honorary gymnast, t-shirt giveaways, autographs after the meet, and raffles for prizes, including a chance to win a pizza party with the team. Furthermore, classrooms and schools "adopt" a gymnast prior to the meet; they get to meet with her in their classroom, and then create supportive banners and such for the meet!

    Find out more information on K-grams Family Night.

K-grams - K-grams (short for Kids Programs) is a student organization at the University of Michigan that pairs up college students with elementary students in a variety of programs. Members of the Gym Team have been paired up as pen pals with elementary students and written letters back and forth throughout the school year. Gymnasts also sponsor an activity booth at the yearly K-grams Kids-Fair, the largest student-run volunteer event at U-M, that brings over 3,000 participants together for a day of learning and fun.

In coordination with K-grams Family Night (see above), the gymnasts have also hosted pizza parties and other events and projects with K-grams classrooms across Southeastern Michigan. They are looked to as role models and "heros" by many of the young girls and boys, who often indulge in the stories of going to college, studying, competing, and "living with all your friends."

     03/18/02 - Ann Arbor News - "Gymnasts Take Message to School" (read me)

Mott Children's Hospital Visits - Along with other athletes from Michigan Sports, the Women's Gym Team has volunteered their time with youth admitted to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. The hospital is one of the nation's leading pediatric institutions and provides quality specialized services to sick and injured children from Michigan, across the country, and around the globe. Children often have extended stays because of their condition, and a friendly face is always welcome!

Members of the Women's Gym Team often travel individually and occasionally as a team to different wings of the hospital, including Radiology and Intensive Care. These visits are an enlightening experience for both parties, as the athletes often share stories, play games, distribute free gym materials, sign autographs, and laugh with the patients. During the holidays, they assist with bringing carts of gifts and other special surprises for the kids at the hospital.

Connecting with Fans - The Women's Gym Team members often take time out to connect with many of their fans, as well. Often after meets, the athletes spend time signing autographs and answering questions from the gym faithful. Additionally, they donate time each summer in Ann Arbor and back at their home sites to help with gym camps and other developmental programs.

Coach Plocki also leads the way by speaking at community events about the importance of athletics and exercise at every level, including the benefits to young women getting involved in organized sports. The athletes also individually participate in programs that help to spread awareness of women's sports and women's issues in today's society.

Community Service Award - The women's gymnastics team repeated as winners of the U-M Community Service Award in 2002. The award is given to the Michigan athletic team which performed the most community-related activities during the school year. Creating a tradition of being "leaders and best," the team engaged in many other activities as listed above. The team captured the inaugural award for the 2000-01 school year.

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