Athletes coach kids
on benefits of reading
By Peter Alfrey
Emerald Contributor
Johnnv can't read, or rnavho
he just doesn't fee! liko.it
In on effort to encourage
voung people to read, the Ore
gon athletic department has run
a program this winter involving
Oregon coaches and athletes
entitled "hollow the Ducks and
Read The to week program,
which fiegan on January has
been held at hugene s Jefferson
Middle School
The pilot program has used
Duck coaches and athletes from
all 14 varsity sports The pro
gram has allowed athletes and
coaches to meet with students
to give speeches, discussions
and to display the benefits of
reading the athletes have even
given progress reports through
out the program
"Basically, we designed the
program to utilize student ath
letes and any resources the\
min have to encourage stu
dents at the middle school level
to read. 1 said Idleen Sorensen,
the athletic department's direc
tor ol marketing and promo
tion
This is something that we
developed because these stu
dent athletes are so important
to the kids impressions, it just
gives them more of a reason to
read
B\ using athletes as teachers
and as sources ol inspiration
the athletic department fei Is
the voting students will he
mure enthusiastic about read
tng iifui more inclined to look
at it as something enjoyable
not .1 chore
Sorensen --.lid the students
and fatally at Jefferson'juu*:
been verv receptive and appro
native of the program; as have
tiie Oregon t o.ti hes and student
athletes
'The athletes really like It,
Sorensen said It s funny !«■
cause some of them vvill he ner
virus when they first go. hut
once they re there, they c ome
hat k ext ited and amazed at
how the kids respond to them
Sorensen savs .the athletic de
partment has developed the
program to gel more involved
xvith the community and to
give something fiat k to it oth
er than victories on the playing
field The program allows the
athletes to have a relationship
with the-'.community that goes
beyond athlete and spet tator
Overall, the original intent of
making reading more attractive
to young people appears to be
taking place through the use of
the Oregon athletes
If (the student's) teat her |ust
came up to them and said
read, they wouldn't do it."
Sorensen said Hut if they see
an athlete doing It. that s wh\
they'll do it
Although the program has
had great sut i ess in its infant x.
the athlete department is un
sun- whether the program wad
continue or not The program
fontduties today, hut maybi
n< ‘.s (ohnnv tain reaif
Ducks to face top-ranked Cal
By Steve M ms
t • 3 Con!' r ..’ r
The Oregon rugby tn.nn fai l’s lop ranked California in thr first
ri.:.111! of tin; Wi-sl ( = fast Rugby < h npionships today at I p in
la is Angeles
.hr Dili ks hoist '-‘I set ond ;:i Tin- NmtliWfs! League hv vvi;
I heir lin.il thri’i' games iimi thru defeating Southern Oregon 8-0 on
Saturday to qualify tor tin- tournament
Light trams will compete in Ihr three ifay, single elimination
tournament w : ■ r ti train puiving 0.rre games w iiether t he I is n
or lose The winner of the tournament will advance to the College
rugby Final Four" in Aspun. dole next month
Oregon has lieen led ill season hv a strung hut average •%./• d
front line whit h ini ludes Uoh Pieri • Uli k Dunn. Ian W drams and
Steve knaust H r.vever. that foursome lias not tai i d am team as
bjg as dal's front line vet tills season, a group whit h features :wi
piavers taller than fidoo! ’> and weighing around J’. < pounds
We have tu he oplunistn . defei.seni.m Mark Hoi tarn) said
I'hev are the In s’ team in the \\ •' so we Ulus' play hard . M
sure i.- matter wiiat happens, we w learn a hit
Southern Oregon head i.oai h Mik. i hor does no' give : tie Du s•
much of a chant e to defeat tfie Bears, hut hi1 -.a\s d they vvors '
C. ids weaknesses anything i an liappen
"tail pl.ivs straight up and down the field, so Oregon must trv to
get them to run at ross the field, I hor said An average si/e team
tan lieat .1 bigger one it they work to the lugger team's disadvan
tages Lungs and hearts get tired if they have to run for long periods
of tune, so Oregon must make (ail run
Oregon head coach Boh Snyder knows ins team has a stiff chal
lenge ahead of them, tint lie remains hopeful for an upset
All year we have played to the level ol our opponents I hope
we can do that against dal,'' Snyder said I fie key to the game
will he when they store we cannot get ciown Instead, we have to
fight bai k
Softball team heads to Arizona
Thir Oregon softball team had
bi tter be prepared to handle
more than the desert heat this
weekend
The Ducks (15-17 overall, 11 1
Pacific-10 Conference) travel to
Arizona for conference double
headers at Arizona State Satur
day and against defending na
tional champion and second
ranked Arizona Sunday
ing streak April ) bv sweeping
,i doubleheader against Oregon
Stati:. I D anil S O
This weekend's meetings will
be tin- first of tin: vnar against
both the Sun Devils (2117 and
1-0) and tin: Wildcats (-10 -1 and
5-1)
The Arizona Stale twin bill
gets under way Saturday at t>
p tn and the Ducks then travel
to Tui son for a 1 p tn double
TRACK
Continued from Page 12
maU hu;> l>etwi i n the two is nearly < iju« 1. with
the Dut k sophomore taking an edge
Him k has a throw of +H i m the shot put
(his season, .uni Andrews !’He.i with a 47 K
earlier this season ftei k s ISO ’ ill the discus
is an Nl A \ provisional qualifier, and An
drews I'd* ’ l’K IS her ties! mark this season
Nil. \\ dvvard has been a star tor the
|)ui ks thus tar. setting personal records two
weeks ago ill the S (M)O and 111 tile 1.000 at
Washington I he senior will take a run at mak
ing three weeks in a row in three different
events Saturday', as she will run m the f .500
She run a lifetime ties! (in the 1,000) on a
day that was pretty crummy," Hetnonen said
"The winds were just swirling all over the
plant *'
The meet w ill hr si ored iis three separate
liu.ils Oregon Washington State, Ore
gon Minnesota, and Minnesota Washington
State Heinnnen said the Cougars should offer
great overall headlo-heiid competition hut he
wasn't sure how the (lophers would miiti h up
Minnesota is kind ol an unknown quantity,
really because the\ have some people hurt."
he said
I he I tm k vs omen will he i mil pet mg vs it hout
the mens squad it May ward lor tie- first tittle
since pun, a-- the men travel to Willamette for
a non si tiringaneet Salurdav
The Oregon men will not llkelv send the en
lire team, hut several athletes particularly
sprinters and jumpers will he on the trip
The Men will begin a streak of three consecu
live home meets next weekend with the I'epsl
Team Invitational
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