Louisville City Wire

University of Louisville athletes are expected to excel in competition and in life. This includes playing meaningful roles in the community, according to Senior Associate Athletic Director Kenny Klein.

The University of Louisville athletics department won the 2019-20 NCAA Team Works Award competition for outstanding community service in Division I. The award has been handed out for the last six years, and the Cardinals have won it twice and been ranked in the top five every year.

The NCAA Team Works Helper Community Service competition includes all Divisions I, II and III schools. It honors student-athletes who become involved in their communities as part of their college experience and after graduation. It’s based on the number of student-athletes who are involved and the hours they invest in local activities.

“One of the core beliefs of our department is we develop our student-athletes – we are accountable for helping our students become champions in competition and life,” Klein, who also serves as UL’s sports information director, told Louisville City Wire. “It is important for all of our student-athletes and staff to engage with our community and support those that support us throughout the year, and to help bring a smile to others. It’s a responsibility that we all enjoy and realize that we can all make a difference by helping and connecting with others.”

For Louisville, 718 student-athletes accumulated 6,827 service hours during the 2019 fall semester.

“As a whole, the department averaged 9.5 hours per student-athlete, as U of L teams partnered with 98 nonprofit organizations over the course of the semester,” according to a release from the school, Klein said. “The top four partners included Jefferson County Public Schools, Score International, Norton Children's Hospital and Louisville Ironman.”

The Cards Come Together event saw 165 student-athletes volunteer their time, the release stated, with the baseball team leading the way by averaging 25 hours per student-athlete. The lacrosse team was tops among the women's teams, averaging 20 hours per student-athlete.

A total of 87 Louisville student-athletes contributed at least 20 hours over the course of the semester while 221 student-athletes volunteered at least 10 hours.

“We are incredibly proud to be as highly ranked in community service as we are in athletics,” Vice President/Athletics Director Vince Tyra said in a statement from the university. “We have great leaders in our athletic department that provide our student-athletes an opportunity to give back to so many causes in the Louisville community. Our student-athletes love giving back and are learning a great deal while doing so.”

Jazmine Jones, who starred on the court for the women’s basketball player and served as a NCAA student-athlete advisory committees vice president, said it’s an important part of being a Cardinal. She currently plays for the New York Liberty in the WNBA.

“Engaging in community service provides student-athletes with the opportunity to become active members of their community and has a lasting, positive impact on society at large,” Jones said in a release. “Community service enables students to acquire life skills and knowledge, as well as provide a service to those who need it most. Here at Louisville community service is much bigger than the sport of the student-athletes because it means a lot to us, and we take it serious to become positive role models to kids in the community.”

Klein said student-athletes have had their community engagement efforts reduced by the threat of COVID-19.

“We have not been able to venture out since the pandemic has limited contact with others,” he told Louisville City Wire.