Huskers Set Aside Racquets, Shoot Hoops to Give Back

On Saturday, September 14, the Nebraska men's tennis team visited the Madonna Rehabilitation Center to play basketball with some of the younger patients undergoing treatment there. The event was part of Nebraska's Life Skills program, which encourages student-athletes to use their platform to make a positive impact on their communities.
 
Sophomore Patrick Cacciatore enjoyed volunteering his time and hoped to return to the Madonna Rehabilitation Center soon. "It was a really great experience being able to give back to the community and hopefully give the patients a great experience for the day," said the sophomore from Tampa, Fla.

Fellow sophomore Will Gleason said the experience helped him recognize how lucky members of the team are to be Husker student-athletes and that not everyone in the community is as fortunate. "I feel like we as a tennis program here at Nebraska are extremely lucky to have the utilities provided to us," said Gleason. "And we know that other people in this town aren't as lucky. We felt it was our job to give back to the community by helping some people who have been through some very traumatizing experiences, and just brightening their day as much as possible."

The event was impactful for the coaches as well. Head Coach Sean Maymi wants his team to continue to set an example on and off the court. "I believe it is important for all of us to realize that the world is bigger that just our own experiences, our own perspectives," said Maymi. "The guys really got excited about spending some time with these children, and hopefully they brightened their Saturday afternoon a bit. This is something we will continue to do as a program in the future."

The Huskers will return to on-court action October 24-28 at the ITA Regional Championships in Norman, Okla.