NORMAL, Ill. – Prior to welcoming Evansville and Indiana State to Redbird Arena this weekend, the Illinois State women's basketball team and head coach Barb Smith gave back to the community, as they participated in the Tri-Valley Middle School Character Day Thursday afternoon.
Doug Roberts, the Tri-Valley Middle School principal, created character assemblies, which are unique programs that he organizes six times a year. Each assembly has a specific theme, and the school invites various individual in to talk about each topic. Smith spoke to 400 students from fourth through eighth graders about passion, while explaining how she grew up playing basketball and why it is so important to her. Smith challenged the middle school students to find their passion in life and to do it as much as they can.
Once Smith was finished speaking, the student-athletes participated in games. Stekara Hall, Mackenzie Freeman, Kelli Tolar, Colleene Smith, Lexie Taylor and Mary Sims participated in a relay race. Each player was paired up with five students, one from each grade, and the team that made it through the challenges first won. The assembly ended by recognizing students from each grade for being Vikings of Valor, kids with model behavior in the classroom.
It isn't the first time the Redbirds have volunteered with an elementary school. In Miami, Florida, ISU spent time at G.W. Carver Elementary School.
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