NEWTON, Mass. – In a part of the year during the Holidays where giving back to the community is such a special thing that can mean so much to any one individual or a group of individuals, the Mount Ida College women's soccer team took the time this past weekend to spend time with some children at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
"The holiday season is a time to give back and to really show what the meaning of what the holidays is all about, said head coach Greg Hagan. This is an amazing opportunity that the program will continue to take part in on an annual basis."
Players from the team took part in arts and crafts with a few children ranging in age from 10-12 in the Child Life Playroom at the Floating Hospital while some of the team went from room to room visiting kids while bringing arts and crafts to them.
From the eyes of the players and assistant coach Janelle Jablonski, the experience had yesterday as a team was one they will never forget.
Jablonski, who is a Physical Therapist at Tufts Medical Center said the overall experience of being able to see the kids just be kids while being in a hospital bed was amazing to see.
"It was an awesome thing to see, said Jablonski. Being in the hospital as a young kid can be very overwhelming and scary, so to see them able to be just kids and have fun was great. The girls did an absolutely amazing job of engaging with the kids and making them smile at a time of the year where just a simple smile can mean so much."
Sophomore midfielder and Captain Morgan Rzonca put the experience into words that she best described as humbling. "The experience working with the children at Tufts Medical center was quite humbling. The team was engaged and felt that with this community service opportunity, we could each individually and as a team make a difference even if it was to just see someone smile."
Defender and Co-captain Hannah Lilac described her experience as eye opening and a great opportunity to see the other side of the spectrum. "It was a wonderful experience for the team to see the other side of the spectrum and take the children away from whatever they may have been feeling that day to just hang out and participate in the activities that we had planned for them. Just to be able to spend time with them was eye opening and you could really tell they enjoyed it."
"The holidays can be very difficult for some people and families, so to have the team be able to spend time with kids that are away from home during this time of year was truly an amazing experience and I know the team is looking forward to going back next year", explained Hagan.