Rockets team up with Padua Center to mentor area children

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The University of Toledo women’s basketball team partnered with the Padua Center to mentor children as part of the BE A ROCKET Program.

“I love getting our players involved in the community, especially when we can help young kids,” Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. “Hopefully through the sports connection, our players can help inspire the kids at the Padua Center to do their best in the classroom and beyond.”

BE A ROCKET is an acronym for topics the players shared with the students at the center: bullying, education, attitude, reading, opportunity, character, knowledge, exercise and teamwork.

The center offers an after-school tutoring program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m., and the BE A ROCKET Program with Cullop and players from the team followed from 4 to 5 p.m. from Sept. 17 through Oct. 10. The players mentored the children and reinforced the tutoring they received.

Terry Crosby, the education director at the Padua Center, approached the coach to see if the players would be willing to get involved.

“Our players were more than happy to help,” Cullop said.

“We have been receiving some great feedback from the partnership, so we are glad to hear the kids responded positively to this,” Cullop added.