BATON ROUGE — Members of the LSU baseball squad continued the Tigers’ comprehensive community service effort Thursday by conducting a clinic for 200 children in Denham Springs, La.
The Tigers instructed the children in baseball fundamentals for 90 minutes before signing autographs for everyone in attendance.
“The class that these young men showed, and the way they represented LSU was above excellent,” said Jim McChristian, commissioner of the fall baseball program at PARDS (Parks and Recreation of Denham Springs). “It speaks volumes for the type of athlete and individual that is recruited by Coach (Paul) Mainieri and his staff. As they were leaving last night, each player and coach came up to me, shook my hand and thanked me for having them there! Once again, what a class act.”
Community service has been a cornerstone of the LSU baseball program during Mainieri’s three-season tenure. The players regularly participate in children’s hospital visits in the Baton Rouge area, meeting with patients and their families.
Last year, team members participated in Hurricane Gustav relief work, picking up debris throughout the Baton Rouge area.
The Tigers participate each year in the ALS Walk on the LSU campus ? the two-mile walk is conducted to raise money and promote awareness of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The team also takes part in the Buddy Walk, a event designed to promote awareness and acceptance of people with Down Syndrome.
The Tigers are annually involved with the Halloween “Boozar” at LSU, where the players dress in Halloween costumes and pass out candy to kids in the Baton Rouge community. During the holiday season, the Tigers participate in the Christmas “Adopt A Child” program, as the team raises money so that an underprivileged family can provide gifts for their child.
“We believe that community service is part of the responsibility of being an LSU baseball player,” Mainieri said. “It’s important that our players interact with the public and attempt to make a positive impact upon their lives.
“The players participate with the intent of helping others, and they find the experience to be extremely rewarding. It gives them a greater appreciation of how fortunate they are to be college student-athletes.”