WolfPack student-athlete a role model to young girls

KAMLOOPS, BC - Every athlete at Thompson Rivers University is told that they should consider themselves to be role models. For Lindsay Uppenborn of the WolfPack women's volleyball program, she has taken it a step further.

Uppenborn has earned a little extra money over the past few weeks, and the same time, helped in a pilot project being put on by Pacific Sport.

The project is called XploreSportz Girls Only. For eight weeks, girls between the ages of seven and 12 are being introduced to a variety of sports. The program maxed out in its first offering at 34 girls.

"The girls are learning in a non-competitive environment," said Uppenborn, who played her first year with the WolfPack in 2010-11 after red shirting the year previous. " It's a program where young girls can play and make new friends."

Uppenborn is one of three leaders. Each Tuesday night they work with the girls for two hours which include swimming at the Canada Games Aquatic Center for an honor.

"I love it so far," she says. "Its nice to make a little extra cash while still in school and off-season training."

Uppenborn is looking at this experience as a springboard to a future career. " I'm in my second year Bachelor of Arts and will soon be applying for the Bachelor of Education program. This factors in perfect because my goal is to become a physical education teacher. The requirements for the program are 40 per cent grades and 60 per cent experience. This is a great way to get that."

She is no stranger to working with children. Lindsay has worked the past four summer at the "Eagle Bay Bible Camp" on Shuswap Lake. " I love it out there. I completed the Leader in Training program in two years. That camp included children from age six to 16. It's a great experience and I love it very much."

The XploreSportsz Girls Only program ends in mid April.

Source:

Thompson Rivers Sports Info