Video: Former Buckeye Instructs Soccer at National Youth in Sports Program – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Ohio State’s National Youth in Sports Program Runs through Thursday
Amanda Ball bookended her women’s soccer career at OhioState with trips to the NCAA tournament. The first trip came during her freshman season when she only saw action in five games. As a sophomore she started two-thirds of OhioState’s games and by her junior and senior seasons, she was a fixture in the starting line up.
Ball’s contribution to the Buckeyes landing a bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament was a testament to her career progression a progression she now shares with Columbus area youth during OhioState’s 2008 National Youth in Sports Program.
Ball instructs the soccer station during the activities portion of the day.
“These are inner city kids … that learn all sorts of different sports they may have never been exposed to,” Ball, who hails from Centerville, Ohio, said. “It is getting them introduced to make them well-rounded as athletes and people.”
At the soccer station, Ball was joined by Jessica Sabbath, a former volleyball player at Eastern Kentucky. They both spoke to the benefits of NYSP for the Columbus area youth and also to how the program has enriched their lives.
View the interview with Ball and Sabbath by clicking on the “watch” link above. Also watch a video from June 27 of football seniors Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis speaking to NYSP campers as part of the program’s Career Day.
Freeman also came out to play catch with the campers during activity time June 26. A photo gallery of activities is available at the link above.
National Youth Sports Program (NYSP)
National Youth in Sports Program (NYSP) was a federally funded summer program for inner-city youth. The program is designed to offer youth a daily program to learn both life skills and opportunities to exercise through various sports activities on campus.
Ohio State was a pilot program and has been one of the nationwide university operations since 1968. Major federal funding cuts have been made in each of the last four years and in 2007 all federal funding for NYSP was cut.
As a result of the federal cuts, universities across the country have discontinued NYSP programs. In just two years, the number fell from 202 in 2005 to 49 in 2007 and continues to drop.
Ohio State has taken near full financial responsibility to continue NYSP as a free program for Columbus youth in 2008 and beyond. Starting next year, the program will be renamed “LIFE Sports” at Ohio State. OSU’s aim is to be the flagship program for universities across the country to continue their NYSP programs as a part of LIFE Sports.
The 2008 NYSP camp started June 9 and concludes July 3 with a morning track and field competition at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
