Gamecocks Team Up with Columbia Urban League Camp

South Carolina Athletics teamed up with the Columbia Urban League to facilitate the organization’s Safe Haven Youth Leadership Athletics Camps last week. In light of the rise in youth violence, the mission behind the camp is to connect the youths from underserved communities, who range in age from 10 to 13, with adults who can help them develop confidence, communication, and leadership skills and help them become productive and contributing members of their community.

“We want to talk to them about making good decisions,” said Charles Waddell, South Carolina’s Special Assistant to the Athletics Director. “We put student-athletes in front of them to tell their story, how they got here, and what they do every day.

“Many of them probably haven’t been on a college campus. We want to give them a chance to have an opportunity that they may never have had. I remember the first time I was on a college campus when I was with the Boy Scouts, and it blew me away. There were more people in the stands at a football game than were in my hometown.”

The youngsters involved in the camp reside in Columbia’s Bluff Road and Shop Road communities. The participants met with Gamecocks administrators and some student-athletes from different sports to talk about the importance of staying in school, making good decisions, and nutrition.

“I talked to them about trying to surround themselves with the right people who are good influences,” said sophomore volleyball student-athlete Morgan Carter. “Being a military child, I had moved several places, and I was letting them know there was a group of maybe three friends from each state I lived in that I still stay in contact with, who I really care about, and they really care about me. I told them to listen to their parents because they’re trying to guide them in the right direction.”

The participants were also given tours of South Carolina’s Athletics facilities as well as a tour of other parts of the University campus and a presentation about ROTC.

“We talk about them coming to college,” Waddell said. “I told them that you don’t have to be an athlete. We bring in around one hundred student-athletes every year. The University brings in about six thousand, so you have an opportunity to come to college. For those that want to do a trade, you can go to Midlands Tech and come out with a degree. It doesn’t have to be a four-year college. When you get out of high school, it’s not over.

“We also talk a lot about leadership and not succumbing to peer pressure. Your reputation is one of the most important and valuable things that you own that nobody else can affect. People can say bad things about you, but it doesn’t get any traction unless your actions lead them that way.”

Having student-athletes, who can relate to some of their experiences, is also a helpful way in getting their attention.

“They’re about to go into high school, and life is only going to get harder after that,” Carter said. “They will be introduced to a lot more things, so I wanted to emphasize that they should surround themselves with people who are going to push them to be better. That’s a time in your life when you think your parents can get annoying, but your parents aren’t trying to steer you in the wrong direction. They’ve been through a lot more. I love speaking to younger kids because sixth through eighth grade was my really rebellious years.”

Columbia Urban League President and C.E.O J.T. McLawhorn made the request to get involved with South Carolina, and with Athletics Director Ray Tanner serving as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors, it was a no-brainer for the Gamecocks. While this is the first year that the Gamecocks have been involved with the camp, it likely will not be the last.

“If we save one kid from making a bad decision, then this is worth it,” Waddell said. “It doesn’t have to mean that they all come to South Carolina, but if they can find a place that will help them pursue a better life, then it’s worth it. I hope this is something that will grow, and that we will continue to do.”