Amy's Service
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company today announced the 20 men's and women's college basketball student-athletes named to the 2014 Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams
®. In its second year, this preeminent community service honor recognizes college basketball players who have made a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of others.
Union College senior
Amy Loya has been selected to the 2014 WBCA Good Works Team
®. She is one of just five women's basketball players selected from all institutions in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA throughout the United States. She joins Michel'le St. Pierre of Worcester State and Alexa Baltes of Illinois Wesleyan as the only NCAA Division III student-athletes selected to the WBCA team.
The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® are each comprised of 10 student-athletes; five from NCAA® Division I and five from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. A total of 117 NABC nominees and 84 WBCA nominees were submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their colleges and universities. The final team rosters were chosen by prestigious voting panels comprised of former coaches, student-athletes and media members.
"I was fortunate to grow up in a nurturing environment that fostered a "people first" mentality," said Amy. "The combination of my family and attending Catholic schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade instilled a genuine desire to find ways to help those in need. Volunteerism became a way for me to connect all of my interests, by giving back to the community while sharing my passions with others.
"I am thankful for my friends and teammates who have helped me along the way, so much so that they may as well be considered unofficial officers," she continued. "It is humbling to have been recognized within such a selfless group of athletes for something that is not measured by grades, points, wins, or losses; but rather, it is by consistent acts of kindness."
"Amy has been a leader for us for the past four years both on and off the court," said Union Head Coach
Mary Ellen Burt. "In my 19 years as the Head Coach at Union College, I have never seen a player with such a servant attitude in every aspect of her life. Her passion for community service is evident in the numerous programs she participates in, but even more important is she inspires others to explore community service programs in their interests."
Former Duke University student-athlete, two-time NCAA champion and seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill headlines the Allstate NABC Good Works Team
® voting panel. WNBA basketball star Tamika Catchings, who played at the University of Tennessee, serves on the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team
® panel.
"Allstate is proud to join the NABC and WBCA in recognizing college basketball players whose 'good works' align with our commitment to giving back to the communities where we live and work," said Pam Hollander, senior director of marketing for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2014 NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panels. "These remarkable student-athletes serve as an inspiration to us all and another reason to celebrate those who contribute to the good in life."
While more often than not it's a player's performance on the court that is recognized, the Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® shine a light on the positive impact these student-athletes have off the court and in their communities. The 20 young men and women named to this year's team demonstrate the unique ability to balance academics with athletics while committing themselves to giving back to others. Among the impressive list of accolades this year's teams boast include lobbying state legislature for new laws that could help save lives, donating tuition money to students in third world countries and dedicating countless hours to mentoring underprivileged children.
Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2014 NABC Convention and 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four® in North Texas, where they will participate in a community service project. The Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2014 WBCA Convention and at the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four® in Nashville, and will also participate in a local community project benefitting the city. Allstate is also an official corporate partner of the NABC and WBCA.
"The 10 young men selected to the 2014 NABC Good Works Team® amplify the significant contributions of all of the men's basketball student-athletes across America," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "We are proud to partner with Allstate to celebrate them as outstanding role models and for the positive impact they have made in their communities, the nation and the world."
"The WBCA is proud to once again partner with Allstate in recognizing conscientious and caring student-athletes who are making a difference in their respective communities," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "Congratulations to these 10 young women and to the coaches who are privileged to have them on their respective teams."
In addition to Hollander, Hill and Catchings, the 2014 Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® selection panel members include: former college basketball players Greg Anthony (UNLV), Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State) and Alana Beard (Duke); former head coaches Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech) and Nell Fortner (Auburn); current college basketball coach Coquese Washington (Penn State); and media members Seth Davis (Sports Illustrated/CBS), Dana O'Neil (ESPN), Carolyn Peck (ESPN) and LaChina Robinson (ESPN/FOX).
The following players have been named to the 2014 Allstate NABC Good Works Team®:
|
NCAA Division I |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Danny Berger |
Junior |
Forward |
Utah State |
Medford, Ore. |
|
Aaron Craft |
Senior |
Guard |
Ohio State |
Findlay, Ohio |
|
Joe Harris |
Senior |
Guard |
Virginia |
Chelan, Wash. |
|
Dau Jok |
Senior |
Guard |
Pennsylvania |
Des Moines, Iowa |
|
Jordan Morgan |
Graduate |
Forward |
Michigan |
Detroit, Mich. |
NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Peter Kazickas |
Junior |
Forward |
Hamilton |
Amagansett, N.Y. |
|
Grant Neil |
Senior |
Forward |
Hope |
Holland, Mich. |
|
Aaron Patrick |
Senior |
Guard |
Mount Aloysius |
Johnsonburg, Pa. |
|
Tanner Sutton |
Junior |
Guard |
Columbia (Mo.) |
Harrisonville, Mo. |
|
Nick LaGuerre |
Junior |
Guard |
St. Mary's of Maryland |
Baltimore, Md. |
The following players have been named to the 2014 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®:
|
NCAA Division I |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Kastine Evans |
Senior |
Guard |
Kentucky |
Salem, Conn. |
|
Alyssa Englert |
Senior |
Guard |
Hartford |
Dansville, N.Y. |
|
NeTanya Jones |
Senior |
Center |
McNeese State |
Oakdale, La. |
|
Courtney Moses |
Senior |
Guard |
Purdue |
Sweetser, Ind. |
|
Shayla Bivins |
Senior |
Center |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
|
NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
|
Jasmine Brewer |
Senior |
Guard |
Loyola (New Orleans) |
Houston, Texas |
|
Amy Loya |
Senior |
Guard |
Union (NY) |
Bethel, Conn. |
|
Michel'le St. Pierre |
Senior |
Guard |
Worcester State |
Seekonk, Mass. |
|
Alexandra Wilkinson |
Senior |
Forward |
Minnesota State (Mankato) |
Blue Mounds, Wis. |
|
Alexa Baltes |
Senior |
Guard |
Illinois Wesleyan |
St. Charles, Ill. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Since 2008, Allstate has partnered with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as sponsor of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
®, which shines a spotlight on the positive, off-the-field impact college football student-athletes have on their communities. Through an arrangement with the AFCA, NABC and WBCA, Allstate is able to expand the Good Works Team
® to also recognize college basketball student-athletes at all levels who donate their time and effort to making a difference off the court.
More information about the Allstate NABC Good Works Team
® and the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team
® is available at
www.nabc.org and
www.wbca.org.
About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at
www.nabc.org.
About the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, please visit
www.wbca.org.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, serving approximately 16 million households through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate branded insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services are offered through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives, as well as via
www.allstate.com,
www.allstate.com/financial and 1-800 Allstate
®, and are widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate
®." In 2013, $29 million was given by The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners to
support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.
About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football."
AMY LOYA'S SERVICE
Amy volunteers for Best Buddies, a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for 1-to-1 friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has been the President of that group at Union since her sophomore year. In 2012-13, she received an award as the President of the Year for Upstate New York. They match people up with people and run a health week (teaching them how to make easy healthy meals), attend athletic events, holiday parties, and combining with Siena and Buffalo State for dances and fund raisers.
Amy was an orientation advisor in her sophomore year, and was nominated to the orientation committee for this, her senior year. It promotes unity within and acclimates the freshmen class to Union. This group organizes activities and forges friendships for freshmen. They maintain guidance and advice as mentors throughout the year. Committee members have to collaborate with the Dean of First Year Students throughout the year to select who the advisors will be and to plan the orientation schedule. Amy also spoke during the orientation about the importance of athletics at Union and the importance of participation and supporting the program. She has served with cleanup after Hurricane Irene, Toys for Tots and Habitat for Humanity. She was recommended by a professor to take notes during class and distribute them to peers with learning disabilities.
Amy was also recommended by faculty to be on the Committee for Awarding Tenure to Professors. She serves as the President of the Biomedical Engineering Chapter at Union College and is one of only two students on the Bioengineering Advisory Committee. Amy was selected to the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, and received Union's women's basketball William Lockyer Community Service Award in both 2012 and 2013. She served as the only student counselor for the EDGE Camp at Union, (educating girls in engineering). The program focuses on exposing high school girls to engineering and enhances the learning activities and communication skills of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She serves in the "Midnight Run Program," which collects food and clothing and takes a van to a pre-determined area of homeless and less fortunate individuals, distributing these items and visiting with these people. A captain this year, Amy had a 3.18 cumulative GPA at Union.
