Tiger Athletics leads the nation in community service

TU men's lacrosse and basketball top rankings in their individual sports

Members of the Towson University men's basketball team pose with members from the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism during a special clinic held at SECU Arena.

The Towson University athletics department takes pride in its student-athletes’ hard work on and off the playing field. In fact, many TU athletic teams have seen success this academic year both in the win column, and through their work in the community.

As an athletic department, Towson University ranked sixth overall nationally in NCAA Team Works’ Helper Helper Community Service Competition and finished first among men’s programs at the Division I level.

NCAA Team Works, which coordinates community service efforts at NCAA championships, and Helper Helper, a volunteer service management and tracking platform, launched the competition to recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities. The competition ran from January through March. The winning schools were determined based on the amount of service hours completed and the participation of student-athletes.

Check out the complete rankings for the NCAA Team Works’ Helper Helper Community Service Competition

In addition to TU’s overall ranking, the men’s basketball team ranked first nationally among Division I men’s team sports participating in the competition.

Some of the outreach projects the men’s basketball participated in included hosting an autism clinic featuring several individuals from TU’s Hussman Center for Adults with Autism on the campus, speaking to fifth graders at Cromwell Valley Elementary School, and conducting a youth clinic at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in advance of Military Appreciation Day presented by New Day.

"This is terrific for our program and university," Towson men's basketball head coach Pat Skerry said. "Community service is one of the core values of our program. I am grateful for my dedicated staff that emphasizes the importance to our players of serving others and giving back.”

The Towson Tigers men’s lacrosse team has also made its’ mark in the community. The team finished fifth nationally among Division I sports and first in the sport-specific standings.

Over the course of the academic year, the men's lacrosse team has volunteered at the ZERO Prostate Cancer Walk, the Susan G. Komen Maryland Race for the Cure, the HEADstrong Foundation, a youth clinic co-hosted with USO of Metropolitan Baltimore-Washington at NSA Bethesda, and served dinner at The Baltimore Station. Additionally, many members of the program volunteered on their own around the Greater Baltimore area.

The entire Towson University athletic department has made a huge impact in the Greater Baltimore area. During the first semester of the 2016-17 academic year, the Tigers recorded 5,884 hours of community service and are approaching over 10,000 community service hours for the entire year.

To keep up with Towson University on and off the field, check out TowsonTigers.com.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland and Strategic Plan Alignment.