Cuse TV: Basketball Joins Forces
1/31/2015 6:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Syracuse men's basketball team welcomes Fort Drum soldiers and ROTC cadets to practice.
Despite a winter storm, military men and women made the trip from Fort Drum to Syracuse University on Friday to join the Orange men's basketball team for practice and dinner at the Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center.
"It was better than I expected," Staff Sergeant Michael Bell said. "I was expecting to sit down and just watch practice. I didn't actually expect to interact with some of the players and coaches."
Also joining the Fort Drum soldiers at the 'Melo Center were members of Syracuse University's Army ROTC program.
"It was really cool actually seeing them up close in comparison to watching a game where you're far away," ROTC cadet Chris Soldovieri said. "So recently with the new chancellor, we've gotten a lot more connections with ROTC and Fort Drum. They do a lot of work with veterans and the military. So they're building more rapport with the ROTC, the military and the athletic programs."
Syracuse basketball and Fort Drum have developed that relationship more in the last five years, with the intention of giving back through sport.
"It's great to have our players exposed to the real heroes, the guys that protect our freedom," said assistant coach Mike Hopkins . "It's great to see guys their own age, what they're doing in Afghanistan and all across the world to protect our freedom; it's great education for our guys."
Watch the Cuse TV video above for full coverage of the Orange's day with the military.
"It was better than I expected," Staff Sergeant Michael Bell said. "I was expecting to sit down and just watch practice. I didn't actually expect to interact with some of the players and coaches."
Also joining the Fort Drum soldiers at the 'Melo Center were members of Syracuse University's Army ROTC program.
"It was really cool actually seeing them up close in comparison to watching a game where you're far away," ROTC cadet Chris Soldovieri said. "So recently with the new chancellor, we've gotten a lot more connections with ROTC and Fort Drum. They do a lot of work with veterans and the military. So they're building more rapport with the ROTC, the military and the athletic programs."
Syracuse basketball and Fort Drum have developed that relationship more in the last five years, with the intention of giving back through sport.
"It's great to have our players exposed to the real heroes, the guys that protect our freedom," said assistant coach Mike Hopkins . "It's great to see guys their own age, what they're doing in Afghanistan and all across the world to protect our freedom; it's great education for our guys."
Watch the Cuse TV video above for full coverage of the Orange's day with the military.
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