North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: WITH Partners Eager to Serve
8/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
BY TIM PEELER
When the athletics department announced its new WITH Partners Program earlier this month, White was one of the first volunteers to sign up to help monitor football tailgate parties throughout Carter-Finley Stadium this fall.
“I enjoy athletics, and I thought this would be a fun way to be a part of it,” White says. “I like to get out and mingle with people. I usually see a lot of people I know at football games. I thought it would be something different because it’s something where you can put a good foot forward for the university and let everyone know we are out there to have fun.
“Nothing drives me crazier than to have a bunch of obnoxious fans out there when I am tailgating.”
The program was announced three weeks ago after gaining approval by NC State Chancellor James L. Oblinger, in conjunction with increasing the number of tailgate hours to five hours before kickoff.
“The chancellor is very excited about the program and he has gotten overwhelmingly positive feed back, based on the number of volunteers who have signed up for the program in such a short period of time,” said associate athletics director for external affairs Dick Christy. “We have a goal of 40 volunteers per game and we have already exceeded that number for three of the seven home games. We are on track to reach or exceed that number for the other games.
“Athletics is excited to be part of it and help get it off the ground.”
WITH short for Wolfpack In The House is NC State’s nationally acclaimed sportsmanship initiative, helping to promote positive conduct at all sporting events. Last September, it was named one of the five best sportsmanship programs in the nation by the Division I-A Athletics Directors Association.
Volunteers are required to read the on-line training manual and attend a training session at 3 p.m. before the game they work. Those who participate in the program receive a free ticket to the game they work, a parking pass, a community service certificate and a WITH T-shirt.
White says she appreciates the tokens of appreciation for participating, but that’s not why she signed up.
“Every since I started working with athletics, I have taken a real interest in the athletes and the sports programs and what they do to represent the school,” White says. “You see them go to work, day in and day out, and you kind of get to know them. Watching them go through what they go through, it makes you appreciate how much work they have to do to be students and athletes.
“You kind of hate to see that work diminished by what happens during some tailgates. Some people you will never be able to change, but if you are out there moving around, showing that you are there to have a good time in t he right kind of way, you might be able to influence one or two people in a positive way. And then you will have made an improvement.”
For more information about the program, click here or contact Morgan Stewart at (919) 865-1438 or morgan_stewart@ncsu.edu.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
