Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Blue Hose Tiger Pals Mentor Program
Helping Them Stand Tall
In addition to hitting home runs on the field, the Presbyterian College Blue Hose baseball team is now hitting home runs off the field. Under the direction and coordination of Laurens Middle School Assistant Principal Ameca Carter, members of the Blue Hose baseball team serve as mentors to several Laurens Middle School youth.
The program is called the “Blue Hose Tiger Pals Mentor Program” and is designed to allow one-on-one relationships between the players and select students at Laurens Middle School. Currently, sixteen Blue Hose baseball players and sixteen Laurens Middle school students are participating in the program.
“This is our second year working with Laurens Middle School with the mentoring project,” said Presbyterian Head Baseball Coach Elton Pollock. “It has truly been a rewarding experience for PC Baseball. Our school motto is ‘while we live, we serve’ and this is just another way to give back to our community.”
“The mentor program has grown this year from last year and we would like it to continue to grow,” noted Carter. “I have a mission, ‘the growth of youth mentoring’, which I consider an increasingly vital social service.”
The players make a commitment by driving to Laurens Middle School once per week to perform their mentoring duties. The mentoring sessions last for one hour and Assistant principal Carter can really see a difference.
“Sometimes my guys wonder whether or not they are making a difference,” said Pollock. “I encourage them that change is not always immediate, however, in the long term, they will definitely see the difference they are making.”
Over half of the time spent between the mentors and the students is committed to academics, with the remainder of the time being spent in a variety of social areas. Some of the social areas include discussing likes, dislikes, goals, and dreams, or playing football, basketball, or board games.
“To make a difference in a child's life you need to know the child's name, their hopes and dreams, and offer consistent encouragement,” stated Carter. “I can see a difference in the Little Tiger Pals after they have been with their mentors.
Often teachers report a change in behavior, attitude, or grades. The students definitely look forward to seeing their Blue Hose Tiger pal mentor every week. They talk about it with friends and teachers. This really affords them an opportunity to have an additional adult role model as well as get a peek into college life. Many of them express an interest now of furthering their education by going to college after graduation.”