Feeding the Soul Through Community
Service isn’t the sideline – it’s a source of purpose
Liv Sewell
Feeding the soul is just as essential as feeding the body – it’s what binds us to each other.
For athletes, community service isn’t a side project, it’s a lifeline. Not only for the people they serve, but for themselves. It’s where identity moves beyond the jersey and impact is measured not in points or stats, but in smiles, handshakes and lives touched.
It could be anything.
From jumping into a pickup basketball game with Special Olympics to leading a workshop with the Boys and Girls Club, the real impact comes from one simple act: showing up. And for many athletes, showing up for others has become an essential part of who they are.
For swimming senior Rylee O’Neil – recipient of the All-Mountain West Community Service honor – the perspective gained through service has helped shape both her athletic and personal journey.
“I’ve been working with Special Olympics since I was 10,” O’Neil said. “Starting at a young age and seeing people take their struggles in stride has really helped me in my own path. It made me realize this is such a blessing and an amazing opportunity that not many people get. It’s given me so much gratitude throughout my time. It’s partly why I do it, to remind myself to be thankful for all I have and hopefully help others feel that way too.”
A Fort Collins native, O’Neil, began her collegiate career at Missouri before returning home to CSU to finish her eligibility. Her story is just one of many on campus who show how athletes are finding purpose beyond competition – and she’s far from alone.
Across every sport and throughout the Mountain West, student-athletes are stepping out into their communities with intent. Whether it’s through volunteering, mentoring, or simply spending time with local kids, they’re learning that service builds not just connections, but character.
And sometimes, it slows them down just enough to reflect and be present. For some athletes, constantly striving toward the next goal, the next time to beat and the next level to reach, service becomes an unexpected invitation to pause.
“I think it means a lot to us knowing we can make an impact on little kids,” said women’s basketball player McKenna Murphy. “My academic advisor’s daughter came to one of our clinics, and she talked about it for weeks after. It was one of the best moments of her life. That kind of feedback reminds us how important this is — how much it matters that we show up.”
Those moments go far beyond the court. They plant seeds of joy, confidence, and belonging — and they stay with both the children and the athletes long after the event ends. For Murphy and her teammates, service isn’t a requirement. It’s a privilege.
One of the most anticipated events of the year is Education Day at Moby Arena, where thousands of screaming elementary schoolers pack the stands. The volume is unforgettable, but so is the energy – a loud, joyful reminder of how sports can bring people together in the simplest, most profound way.
Softball players experience a similar connection on game days, standing on the field with local youth as anthem buddies. It may seem like a small gesture, but for the kids watching their heroes up close, it’s a memory which lasts.
Sometimes it’s as simple as just being there to have fun and make others feel better.Rylee O'Neil
“I think serving others well and giving back to the community is very important,” said senior infielder Jordan West. “I wouldn’t be able to be here without people from our community. Since my freshman year, people have helped me grow and serve, and they’ve also shown me what it looks like to serve with heart.”
For many student-athletes like West, service isn’t about grand gestures – it’s about consistency. Giving time and effort, even when the schedule is full. Whether it’s leading a clinic, visiting a classroom, or simply offering a few words of encouragement, those small moments carry lasting weight.
And as they show repeatedly, there’s no single right way to give back. The method may differ, but the mission remains the same to live out the values that sports instill: teamwork, humility and leadership.
“I think athletics is one of those things the whole world has in common,” O’Neil said. “People love sports, they bring people together at the end of the day. No one really cares about your name in the record book or how many goals you scored. They care about who you are and how it’s made you a better person. What I love about athletics is that it gives people who might not otherwise have the opportunity a shot. There are so many of us who wouldn’t be in college without it.”
At the heart of it all is a deeper truth: what athletes do off the field can matter just as much, and sometimes more than what happens during competition. For those who embrace service, the impact is never one-sided. The community benefits, yes – but the athletes grow, too.
With O’Neil continuing her lifelong commitment to service, the swimming and diving team led the department in community-service hours, nearly 600 throughout the school year.
Because when the cheers fade and the final buzzer sounds, it’s not always the wins or stats that linger. It’s the stories, the faces, and the feeling of having made someone’s day a little brighter. Many athletes began their journey because someone once reached out a hand to them. Now, they see it as their turn to be that hand for someone else.
“It’s not a chore,” O’Neil said. “It’s actually really fun. I think if you buy in and don’t think about it as something you have to do for someone else, but something you also do for yourself, it makes all the difference. Sometimes it’s as simple as just being there to have fun and make others feel better.”
Hindsight is 20/20 – and often, stepping outside oneself in an effort to focus on others can bring as much clarity as any training session or competition. In a space where so much attention is put on development, growth and the next big moment, service teaches the beauty of being still.
“Teaching kids how to swim and realizing that what we do is pretty amazing,” O’Neil said. “We have our abilities, and I think we sometimes take that for granted as D1 athletes. We only see what we could be, not what we are.”
And perhaps that’s what makes these acts of service so powerful. They aren’t just about giving – they’re about grounding. Reminding athletes not just of where they’re going, but where they are, and who they’ve already become.
A legacy etched in the quiet human moments which unfold off the field. A supportive hand on the shoulder, laughter shared at a clinic or a preemptive belief in someone who doesn’t quite believe in themselves yet.
Service doesn’t only feed the soul, it reveals it. And for the athletes who continue to show up, that remains one of their greatest victories.
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