Operation Christmas Child

NAU Student-Athletes Give Back to the Community in Operation Christmas Child

Nov 25, 2014

 

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona student-athletes are always giving back to the community of Flagstaff and this past weekend, the freshmen class held Operation Christmas Child to start spreading the holiday cheer.

In an educational psychology class taught by Athletics Assistant Director of Academic Services, Megan Greene, and Academic Coordinator, Stephanie Hamilton, the two were able to organize 78 of NAU’s freshmen student-athletes and complete a total of 156 hours of community service towards Operation Christmas Child.

“Operation Christmas Child was a lot of fun and I am glad I was able to help out with it,” said football wide receiver Dan Galindo. “Preparing the gifts for the kids in need is a great feeling knowing that it will make them very happy once they open their gifts. Volunteering is a great privilege and I definitely want to help out any I can.”

Lumberjack athletes wrapped shoe boxes with Christmas paper and then wrote cards that were placed inside the shoe boxes. These boxes will then get stuffed with goodies for children in need and the presents go all around the world.

“Getting a chance to participate in Operation Christmas Child was a really great experience for me,” said soccer forward Anna Goebel. “Every year my mom, my sister and I always try to participate in Operation Christmas Child and it was nice to be able to do that when I am away from home.”

The class is designed to help students transition from high school to college, teaching the students about leadership. The Lumberjacks took on the leadership role and started off the holiday season by giving back. 

Intervention

The girl needs help!  Can someone do an intervention?!

Text Gone Wrong

All of the parents had to work a shift at the ECNL tournament this weekend.  I signed up to work at the college coaches booth. Basically we just made sure they signed in, got a player book and had plenty of snacks. Kayla went with me and sent this text message to Anna.....
                                               

ECNL Tournament

Kayla and her team rocked it at the ECNL tournament this weekend! They played teams from Chicago, North Carolina and Dallas and won all of their games! There were a ton of college scouts there and Kayla got a lot of interest from coaches. Now she's just ready to lock down where she will be playing next year!

WAY TO GO DEL SOL 97!

NCAA Tournament

After winning their conference, Anna and her NAU soccer team had the change to compete in the first round of the NCAA playoffs of Saturday night! They played against ASU which was great for us because we could actually go to the game. It was a sold out crowd and I believe there were more NAU fans than ASU fans.  NAU put up a great fight but lost to ASU 2-4. Still what a great experience it was for those girls! Thanks for such a great freshman season NAU!

The gang was all there!

Griffey loves him some soccer players!

Anna and GT

Anna and her BFF Brooke!

Divisons 1 BIG SKY CHAMPIONS

The NAU women's soccer team won the Big Sky Championships! Now it's off to round 1 of the NCAA tournament! The Jacks will be playing ASU on Saturday night at 7:00 in Tempe.























Recap of the tournament:
Montana was seeded first in the division so they hosted the tournament in Missoula.  NAU went in as the #3 seed and played Eastern Washington (#6 seed) in the first round of playoffs. Eastern Washington had beaten NAU earlier in the season but in a very tough fought match NAU pulled off a 3-2 win.

Idaho (#4 seed) played Idaho State (#5 seed) with Idaho State winning that game.
Montana and Portland State got byes the first round.

In the second round NAU played Portland State (#2 seed) whom they tied in regular season play. It was another close game but ended in a 2-1 victory for NAU

Idaho State (#5 seed) knocked off Montana (#1 seed) to compete in the championship game against the Jacks! The game was tough.  It was pouring down rain and 37 degrees.  Both teams fought hard but NAU was victorious!!!

The game was broadcast over the internet so we were able to watch the Jacks go on to victory. Anna actually got to go in for a few minutes in the first half!  She was so pumped.  After the game she called me and said, "Mom, I've never won anything significant in my life before!"

The team flew into the Phoenix airport that night so Grammy, GT, Kayla and I....along with some friend went to welcome the champions back! We had signs and chanted N A U...NAU as they got off the plane.  We also gave them packets of mashed potatoes that said Way to Smash 'Em! (they beat Idaho...get it?  Potatoes?) The girls were excited to see some fans but so tired. They got back to NAU about 2:30 to a crowd of NAU students/athletes congratulating them!

Halloween 2014

It wasn't too hard to guess what Kayla would be for Halloween. The girl loves her some donuts! You can't tell in the picture but she is wearing Krispy Kreme boxers and donut shoes!  Gotta love this crazy kid and her creativity!

We spent Halloween at Anna's soccer game. If you wore a costume you got into the game for  free.  Mom and Marcy thought that their Halloween shirts and pumpkin earrings counted as a costume. I told them it wouldn't and that Kayla was the only one wearing a real costume. They tried to give the guy at the gate the business, but he wasn't having any of it. Luckily Anna had left us passes at the box office so they got in free any way.

Big Sky Championship

Anna and her team head to Montana today to face up against Eastern Washington in the first round of the Big Sky Championships!  The game is Thursday at 11:00 am mst.
Go Jacks!  Kick some AXE!

NAU STRONG  Click the link to read more about the Lady Lumberjacks!

Sweater Girl

HS soccer tryouts are this week....which leads to the beginning of hell month. The club girls go from high school practice after school to club practice after that. It's a long few weeks for them!

It's funny to me how a kid can show up for tryouts in HS for a sport they've never played before. Usually they don't make it past day three when they realize how much running is involved.
You can always spot those kids right away. Last year a girl showed up wearing her shin guards on the outside of her socks. This year it was "Sweater Girl". Kayla came home the first day of tryouts and said, "Mom this girl wore a sweater to tryouts today.  A wool sweater!'  Then yesterday I asked Kayla how sweater girl was and she said, "It was worse!  Today she wore leggings! She looked like a ballerina!"

It's gonna be a fun season!