1. “Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting that combines academic classroom curriculum with meaningful service, frequently youth service, throughout the community.”

2. Youth who participate in high-quality community-based service- learning are likely to benefit in a number of ways: Increased access to the range of supports and opportunities they need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. Increased sense of self-efficacy, as young people learn that they can impact real social challenges, problems, and needs. Higher academic achievement and interest in furthering their education. Enhanced problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams, and planning abilities. Enhanced civic engagement attitudes, skills and behaviors.

4. Meet the Blazers was a day in the early spring where people in the surrounding are of Valdosta brought their kids to participate in a day to practice with the Valdosta State University football team. The kids would go to each position and do some of the drills that us players actually do during practice. It was a great day for aspiring football starts to see what they had and have fun doing it.

5. The Blazer Build was an opportunity for the Valdosta State Athletics to partner with Habitat for Humanity and build a house for someone in the community that is in need.

6. The football team had the job to assemble all of the walls that would be used in the construction of the house.

7. It took around eight hours to finish all of the walls which we worked in two four hour shifts. The rest of the athletics each did a separate part and two weeks later the house was completely built and ready to live in.

8. The Great American Clean-Up is where there are different groups all over the United States that split their area into sections and clean up those areas of liter. I was put into a group with my teacher DR. Carl M. Hand and his area was in Hahira, Georgia. Once at the clean site we were split into even smaller groups and sent to different parts of the community. By the end of the day we had the entire city looking spotless.

10. From doing this service learning I learned a lot about myself. I found that it makes me feel good to positively affect someone else or to help someone in need. I also learned about my community how vast and how helping someone can let others see your just not here to play sports but to be a positive influence on the community. All the community service played a big role in helping me mature.