In today’s world where everyone is busy, these high school kids are finding time to help their community.  Edwardsville High School athletes are fighting their busy schedule of practice, school and social life, and giving time to help their community by performing acts of community service.  The EHS coaches just relax knowing their players are giving back.

The EHS girls tennis team has been doing their own kind of community service called Mitch n’ Friends, a hitting session with mentally handicapped kids. “We [the girls] usually play so competitively, but when we help with Mitch n’ Friends we just have a lot of fun and I could tell the kids were having fun too,” junior Maddie Lombardi said.  The tennis team does other services like Ace for a Cure, for anyone who has been touched by cancer.

While girl’s tennis is helping at the courts, the girls’ volleyball team is cleaning up the school.  “We sometimes help put in new mulch for the school,” senior Lauren Corby said.

In addition to volunteer work, the EHS boys’ soccer team is taking time out of their day as a team and asking people to donate money for a local animal shelter.  The boys will go around and ask if people have the option to donate a dollar for every goal EHS scores and will be given to the shelter.

The athletes think helping out the community should really be a “want to” not a “have to.”  “Our coaches don’t really need to push us to do it, we usually want to,” said Lombardi.  Once the students start doing community service they really enjoy the feeling of helping others and the coaches feel pride in knowing the students aren’t feeling punished.

“Helping the community should always be a top priority,” junior soccer player Ryan Bode said.