Durham Attack Cares
Sport is an incredible vehicle for personal development, and as members of the club we are all so fortunate to have had the opportunity to play our various roles. As a club we believe strongly in developing the whole athlete. Part of our mission is to create great members of our community, and volleyball is our vehicle for doing this. We achieve this goal by providing ways for all of our athletes to give back to their community, and by giving support to athletes in need. Support, and giving back. We call this program Durham Attack CARES.
The importance of this is embedded in the greatest teams at the pinnacle of sports. Sir Graham Henry, coach of the New Zealand All Blacks, coaching the undisputedly best rugby team in the world, and recognized as one of the greatest sports coaches of all time, spoke this past Spring at the Leaders in Sport summit in New York, attended by our Performance Coach Kyle Paquette. Sir Graham succinctly summed up our philosophy:
“Better people make better All Blacks. The All Blacks are about developing the whole person and helping people help other people.”
John Herdman, coach of the Canadian Women’s National Team (soccer), told one of the best players in the game:
“If you think your purpose on this earth is to play soccer for Canada, then I have failed you.” – Karina Leblanc
There is a bigger purpose here. To be truly successful in sport and in other things in life, we need to develop great people, not just great athletes. Part of this mission is our Durham Attack CARES program.
Community Service
Each of our teams completes at least one community service project each season. We work with local community organizations to find ways for all teams to participate. If we can assist your organization please contact us at: [email protected].
Here are a few of the things our teams have been doing recently. Durham Attack CARES projects…
Athlete Assistance
One of our fundamental values as a Club is to support those in need. We do this in different forms, but one of the most tangible ones is to provide financial assistance to athletes who really ‘need’ to play volleyball. In defining the term ‘need’, we all know families who need the structure and mentorship for teens that being a member of a team provides. We have families who have recently lost a family member. We know of families who simply cannot afford what it takes to compete at elite levels. Though we work extremely hard to keep the costs of playing down, it can be unreachable for some who really need and deserve to play. Sport should be accessible to everyone.
In our nearly twenty five years of operation, we have seen a growing disparity between families who can, and cannot afford to participate in youth sports. Our concern is the athletes who are left behind, and the access this denies them to future opportunities. Sports in general, but volleyball in particular, has a proven history of facilitating University and College educations, to students who might otherwise go without.
“I fell in love with volleyball when I was ten years old, not only because it is a fun and exciting game; it was a means by which I could be more than the stereotype that often plagues young men like me, who are from communities in which financial resources are limited and crime rates are high. Volleyball was my source of inspiration, my passion and the only way I knew to defy the stereotype of being nothing more than the product of my environment. My family faced multiple economic barriers… Durham Attack helped me overcome those stereotypes, were gracious to support me in pursuing my volleyball dreams. They offered me financial assistance so that I could play and ultimately develop skills that will improve both my athletic and personal life. With their support I was able earn a scholarship to attend university.” – With sincere thanks, Joshua Henderson
To meet this goal, Durham Attack CARES is allocated a portion of our membership fees and of money raised from team sponsors, to help those who demonstrate a need. We also have private fund raising and member donations, which contribute to this effort. We qualify applicants with third party charitable organizations, such as Their Opportunity, Jumpstart and KidSport Canada. This ensures confidentiality and that applicants who meet externally managed thresholds receive funding.
If you want to learn more, please email us at: [email protected].
How To Apply
It starts out informally, with a phone call and getting together over a cup of coffee to help us understand your needs. A more formal process is sometimes required. We’ll also encourage you to apply for other funding that some of our club members receive from organizations such as Their Opportunity, JumpStart and KidSport. To learn more please visit the Athlete Assistance page. Here you will find instructions and all forms.
Program Sponsors
A portion (5%) of all team sponsorships is reserved to support Athlete Assistance. We would like to thank all of our sponsors who have provided funding to support our athletes in need this season. Click an image to learn more about the sponsor.
