Crimson Cares

Education through Athletics
Athletic participation helps our students grow, learn, and enjoy themselves while they use and develop their personal, physical, and intellectual skills. Harvard values the lessons that have long been taught by athletic participation: the pursuit of excellence through personal development and teamwork, ethical and responsible behavior on the field and off, adherence to the spirit of rules as well as to their letter, leadership and strength of character, and sportsmanship – respect for one's opponents, acceptance of victory with humility, and acknowledgement of defeat with grace. In teaching these lessons to its students, Harvard instills habits which will lead students to better and healthier lives. While winning is not an end in itself, we believe that the efforts by our intercollegiate athletes to be their best will lead them to succeed throughout their lives.

Build Community and Pride in Harvard
Athletics at Harvard builds community through the engagement of students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and creates a portal through which neighboring communities can enjoy the Harvard experience. We all take pride in knowing that our coaches are educators and our athletes are true representatives of Harvard's student body – Harvard athletes are admitted through the same process, receive the same academic support, and are held to the same standards as every other Harvard student. Successful athletic teams generate unique excitement across the campus and community, help strengthen bonds among the various arms of our university, build collegiate loyalty in a healthy manner, and give our community members yet another reason to be proud to represent Harvard.

--Harvard Athletics Mission Statement

Staying true to the athletics department's mission statement, Harvard student-athletes and coaches have engrained themselves in the local community and beyond. Their work in the community has helped numerous causes and organizations, while advancing the department's goal of using athletics as a tool for education.

Below is a sampling of the initiatives that Harvard student-athletes are involved with.


		Initiatives
		Women's Basketball Shares Summer Experiences Like many student-athletes at Harvard, members of the Harvard women's basketball team have used their summer vacation to better themselves and their communities. For some, summer consists of growing their skills during an internship or job, while others choose to spend their time volunteering around the world ... Read

		O'Connor, Callahan Educate Community on Sail to Prevail Harvard sailing coach Michael O'Connor and CEO of Sail to Prevail Paul Callahan attended the Adaptive Recreation Fair earlier this month to educate the community on the joint collaboration between the two organizations... Read

		Women's Hockey Makes Sandwiches for Boston Marathon Volunteers Volunteering to support the Boston Marathon volunteers, Harvard women's hockey paired with Viga Italian Eatery to make sandwiches for the thousands of volunteers at Boston's premiere running event.... Read

		Women's Lacrosse Raises Record Donation Amount for Vs. Cancer The Harvard women's lacrosse team has partnered with Vs. Cancer this season to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer... Read

		Men's Basketball Visits Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club The Harvard men's basketball team visited the Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club Tuesday, Jan. 17... WATCH

		Men's Hockey Hosts Floor Hockey Event For Special Olympics Athletes The Harvard men's hockey team hosted the Belmont Special Olympics floor hockey team to the Malkin Athletic Center Sunday, Jan. 15... READ MORE

		Men's Basketball Spreads 'Stay in to Win' Message to Timilty Middle SchoolThe Harvard men's basketball team visited the Timilty Middle School in Roxbury, Massachusetts, presenting a "Stay In To Win" program to 110 seventh graders this week... READ MORE

		Men's Hockey Hosts Learn to Skate Event for One SummitThe Harvard men's hockey hosted a learn to skate and play hockey event for One Summit on Sunday, Jan. 8. One Summit is an organization that helps children battling cancer build confidence and courage through a number of events... Watch Now

		Women's Volleyball and Football Win Annual Bench Press for Breast Cancer TitlesThe Harvard University Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted its annual Bench Press for Breast Cancer fundraiser Dec. 5 at the Palmer Dixon Strength and Conditioning Center ... READ MORE

		Women's Water Polo Impact Felt Outside the Pool The Harvard women's water polo team has been active in its off-season, recently hosting a bone marrow donor registration drive in coordination with the Be a Hero, Become a Donor (BAHBAD) Foundation... READ MORE

		Sailing Hosts Sail to Prevail Harvard Sailing head coach, Michael O'Connor and the Crimson have been working with members of the Brighton, Allston and Cambridge communities through Sail to Prevail... READ MORE



		Men's Hockey Participates in Jimmy Fund Walk On Sunday, Sept. 27, members of the Harvard men's hockey team participated in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, helping to raise proceeds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.... READ MORE

		Men's Hockey Begins Year Volunteering at Local School In what has become an annual tradition for the Harvard men's hockey team, the Crimson spent one of their first days on campus this fall volunteering at the Cristo Rey Boston School... READ MORE

		Football to Host Red Cross Blood Drive 1-6 p.m. on March 25 Harvard football will team with the American Red Cross Friday, March 25 for a blood drive held at Dillon Field House... READ MORE

		Feature: Men's Basketball Visits Blue Hill Girls & Boys Club The Harvard men's basketball team visited the Blue Hill Girls & Boys Club on Jan. 21, 2016 where it spent the afternoon studying and playing with the kids... WATCH NOW

		Harvard Hockey Pairs with One Summit for Children's Skate The Harvard men's hockey team joined forces with One Summit Jan. 24, 2016, as the players skated with children fighting cancer... READ MORE

		Women's Basketball Gives Back at Quincy Community Center The Harvard women's basketball team visited the Quincy Community Center last week, holding a clinic for elementary and middle school aged children... READ MORE

		Harvard Hockey Volunteers at Y2Y Homeless Shelter On Monday, Jan. 11, members of the Harvard men's hockey team spent the morning volunteering at the Cambridge Y2Y (Youth-2-Youth) homeless shelter... READ MORE

		Harvard Hockey - Making Strides Count Members of the Harvard men's and women's hockey team spent their Tuesday's this fall teaching children from the Boys and Girls Club of Somerville about the game of hockey... WATCH NOW

		Men's Lacrosse Hosts Metro Lacrosse Youth Clinic The Crimson and Metro Lacrosse hosted a youth clinic for more than 60 youngsters at Jordan Field... WATCH NOW

		Men's Hockey's Tyler Moy Volunteers With Autism Awareness Organization Harvard men's hockey continues to be a beacon in the local community, as junior men's hockey player Tyler Moy has spent recent Friday nights volunteering with the Harvard Undergraduates Raising Autism Awareness Organization... READ NOW

		Men's Hockey Participates in Charity Run for Terry Fox Foundation On Sunday, Sept. 27, members of the Harvard men's hockey team participated in a charity run event organized by the Harvard Canadian Club in support of the Terry Fox Foundation... READ NOW

		Men's Hockey Spends First Weekend on Campus Volunteering at Local School For the second year in a row, the Harvard men's hockey team spent time at the Cristo Rey Boston high school, volunteering for a number of tasks to prepare the school for the upcoming year... READ NOW

		Summer Blog: Softball's Savannah Bradley Volunteers in Vietnam Junior softball player Savannah Bradley spent six weeks overseas in Vietnam this summer teaching and coaching middle-school aged children... READ NOW

		Men's Lacrosse Pairs with Team Impact Chris Wojcik '96, The Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Lacrosse, and seniors Murphy Vandervelde and Jake Gambitsky discuss the team's partnership with Team Impact... WATCH NOW

		Men's Hockey Supports Travis Roy Foundation at Boston Wiffle Ball Challenge In what is becoming a June tradition for the Harvard men's hockey team, a contingent of players competed in the 2015 Boston Wiffle Ball Challenge Saturday, June 20, which raises money for the Travis Roy Foundation and the Franciscan Hospital for Children... CONTINUE READING

		Harvard Athletics Hosts Fifth Annual Bay Girls Lacrosse Youth Day Harvard Athletics hosted the Mass Bay Girls Youth Lacrosse League (MBGYLL) last Saturday at the Harvard Athletic complex for "Youth Day," a day devoted to the growth of youth lacrosse players... CONTINUE READING

		NESN Features Senior Co-Captain Steve Moundou-Missi NESN caught up with senior co-captain Steve Moundou-Missi after spending two months this summer in South Africa using basketball as a tool for change... WATCH NOW

		Harvard's Corbin Miller back from Mormon mission, ready to help The Boston Globe's Julian Benbow features Corbin Miller, who returned to Harvard for the 2014-15 academic year after serving a two-year LDS mission in Mexico... CONTINUE READING

		Men's Hockey Helps Local School Prepare for New School Year Before the new school year got in full swing, the Harvard men's hockey team spent one of it's final summer days helping one area school prepare for the year... CONTINUE READING

		Men's Hockey Participates in Annual Boston Wiffle Ball Challenge for Charity On June 21, 2014, a group of Harvard men's hockey players participated in what has become the annual Boston Wiffle Ball Challenge. The Travis Roy Foundation, Inc. and the Franciscan Hospital for Children team up once again to host the event... CONTINUE READING

		Women's Basketball Gives Back with Visit to Charles River Center Members of the Harvard women's basketball team headed to the Charles River Center Friday, a therapeutic day services program for adults with physical and mental disabilities, to spend time with the residents... CONTINUE READING

		Student-Athlete Adivsory Committee (SAAC) Holds Shoe Drive The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held a shoe drive asking for new and like-new shoes from the Harvard Community... CONTINUE READING

		Casscells-Hamby Volunteers in Haiti Harvard women's soccer rising senior captain Meg Casscells-Hamby has given her time to work with Coaches Across Continents, currently working with coaches and children in Haiti... CONTINUE READING

		Track and Field Teaches Community The Harvard track and field team hosted a clinic for the Cambridge Jets Monday, instructing the youth teams on all events from the hurdles to weight throw... CONTINUE READING

		Women's Volleyball Given Service Ace Philanthropic Achievement Banner The Harvard women's volleyball team has been awarded a Service Ace Philanthropic Achievement banner for its contributions to the 2013 Dig Pink Rally, Side-Out Foundation officials recently announced. As a group, the Ivy League collected $7,476.85 with the Crimson donating $1,290, the highest amount raised by the team in its six years participating in the initiative... CONTINUE READING

		Women's Basketball Gives Back to Community The Harvard women's basketball team visited the Cambridge Community Center last week, holding a clinic for elementary and middle school aged children... CONTINUE READING

		Men's Lightweight Crew Serves Community The Harvard men's lightweight crew team, led by the efforts of junior Connor Mangan, will be lending a hand at the 2013 Perkins School holiday concert Sunday, Dec. 8... CONTINUE READING

		Harvard SAAC Hosts Bench Press for Breast Cancer The Harvard University Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted its annual Bench Press for Breast Cancer fundraiser on May 2 at the Palmer Dixon Strength and Conditioning Center... WATCH NOW

		Harvard Women's Hockey Helps Fight Hunger Members of the Harvard women's hockey team took part in Project Bread's 45th Walk for Hunger May 5 to help raise money and awareness of hunger in Massachusetts... CONTINUE READING

		Radcliffe Lightweight Crew's Corinne Wee Presents $25,000 Check to Boston Children's Hospital Corinne Wee, a senior on the Radcliffe lightweight crew, joined Beth Kohl of USRowing and Josh Farkes of Boathouse Sports to present the proceeds of the "Row for Boston" t-shirt sales to the Boston Children's Hospital May 28, 2013 at Weld Boathouse. Tara Tonello of the Boston Children's Hospital Trust was on hand to accept the check worth $25,000 to go towards the Children's Hospital Marathon Fund... CONTINUE READING

		Members of Men's Swimming and Diving Participate in Swim Across America Members and alumni of the Harvard men's swimming and diving team participated in Swim Across America's Boston Team Relay Challenge Sunday, April 7 at Blodgett Pool... CONTINUE READING

		Team IMPACT's Sophie Inspires Harvard Women's Swimming & Diving Harvard women's swimming ad diving junior Deirdre Clute talks about the team's involvement with Sophie, the newest member of the Crimson squad... WATCH NOW

		Women's Water Polo Holds Draft Day, Welcomes Team IMPACT Member The Harvard women's water polo team welcomed its newest team member when five-year-old Bella Padilla was added to the roster as part of the Team IMPACT Draft Day... CONTINUE READING

		FAS Green Teams Up With Harvard Athletics FAS Green teamed up with Harvard Athletics to promote green sustainability and recycling at the 129th edition of The Game... WATCH NOW

		Harvard Men's Lacrosse Teams Up With Metro Lacrosse The Harvard men's lacrosse team has spent the fall volunteering its Saturday's with Metro Lacrosse... WATCH NOW

		Harvard Football and the National Marrow Donor Program Frank Mace, a junior government concentrator living in Mather House, became a bone marrow donor this summer thanks in part to the Harvard football team... WATCH NOW

Crimson Cares

Initiatives