* This number (600 pounds) was calculated before the gate opened for football's spring game which charged $5 or five canned goods to get in.

ALVA, Okla. - Winning games is just one part of a head coach's job at a university. Helping create upstanding individuals is arguably just as important. Tuesday evening at the Homestead Retirement Center in Alva, head soccer coach Kasey Mahaffey and the Northwestern Oklahoma State University women's soccer team had the pleasure of donating their time and efforts to the residents of the retirement center.

Mahaffey and her players mingled with the residents playing games such as bingo, rummikub and uno for nearly two hours. The team went a step further serving snacks and drinks while baking cookies for everyone in the room.

The girls were able to build relationships with members and, hopefully, create a few new soccer fans.

Mahaffey and her team will continue to be active and visible in the community by working at Sonic this upcoming Friday (April 20) from 1:30-7 p.m. 

All donations and tips will go toward new uniforms and equipment for the next season.

ALVA, Okla. - The Northwestern Oklahoma State University department of athletics participated in "The Big Event," an annual community service day, which took place at the Alva Market on Saturday morning.

Head men's basketball coach Andrew Brown, his players, staff, other athletes and members of the NWOSU athletic administration assisted individuals bringing in unwanted electronics to be properly disposed of. The procedure allows for the electronics to be recycled which, in turn, leaves more space in our landfills.

"The Big Event," is a day each year where colleges and universities across the country select a community service project to do for their respective communities.

ALVA, Okla. -  Head men's basketball coach Andrew Brown and the Northwestern Oklahoma State University men's basketball team are doing their part to be active in the community as the squad spoke to Alva's fourth and fifth graders about the five core values of the NAIA's Champions of Character.

Brown addressed the kids and then allowed his players to talk to the crowd about integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership, the five core values of the NAIA's Champions of Character. After the talking was done, Brown, his staff and his players supervised multiple games of knockout inside Percefull Fieldhouse for the youngsters.

"We love having those kids over here," Brown said. "We get a lot out of the experience, and it allows kids to see our players in a different atmosphere."

“Speaking at the Kiwanis meeting was a great opportunity to get to know some of the people in Alva and help get them involved in our soccer program," Mahaffey said. "This is the first step toward our goal of reaching out and getting involved in the community. Interest and involvement inside the Alva community is very important to my girls and our program.”

The group had lunch before Mahaffey spoke for approximately 15 minutes about her life, past coaching experiences and her plan to lead the Northwestern soccer team. After she concluded speaking, she fielded questions from an excited group of Kiwanis Club members.

Mahaffey is the latest of the Ranger family members to be a guest speaker. Athletic director Andy Carter, head football coach Alan Hall, head rodeo coach Stockton Graves and head volleyball coach Fernanda Frey have all spoken during the school year.

ALVA, Okla. - The Northwestern Oklahoma State University football coaching staff held the 2012 Winter Coaching Clinic on Thursday. The clinic was free to all coaches who wanted to attend.

High school coaches from all around the state of Oklahoma attended the clinic held on campus.

The clinic was broken in to sessions with different NWOSU football staff members speaking about their respective areas of expertise and concluded with head coach Alan Hall speaking to everyone about offense specifically the screen game.

Defensive line coach Dwayne Curry showed film and gave tips on how to improve young linebackers. Defensive coordinator John Falvey shared his expertise on the defensive side of the ball.

Assistant head coach Kevin Turco spoke to the group about zone, gap, pass drills and fundamentals.

After the clinic part ended, the staff hosted all coaches at Champs for dinner.

Woodward, Okla. — Student-athletes at Woodward Middle School had some special visitors Wednesday morning.

Northwestern Oklahoma State University basketball players and coaches, in town for the Ranger Roundball Classic, dropped by the school.

NWOSU Coach Andrew Brown said he and the players spoke to the students about a number of different topics.

“We talked to them (about) how they should act on the floor (basketball court) and off the floor,” Brown said.

Brown told the students they will face some adversity in their lives as they get older and enter high school.

Marshall Bell, a junior shooting guard for the Rangers, said one of the biggest issues the students face will be who their friends are.

“They (students) need to surround themselves with good friends and stay in good environments,” Bell said.

Bell said hanging around the wrong crowd could cost them their athletic careers.

“As an athlete, if you put yourself around a wrong crowd or group, you have the chance to lose your scholarship,” Bell said.

However, Bell said being around the wrong group people can cost a student-athlete more than a scholarship.

“My friend lost his life in high school after he was stabbed 13 time,” Bell said.

Bell said his friend, who was known for selling drugs in high school, was at a party where he was stabbed and his body was later taken back to where he lived for someone to find him.

Bell believes the story was a real eye-opener for the students.

“I think I got their attention when I said he was stabbed 13 times,” Bell said. “The kids need to know danger is everywhere.”

Bell said he enjoyed speaking to the students.

“I always enjoyed listening to an athlete speak, that I looked up to,” Bell said.

Bell hopes other athletes will talk to his children one day.

“I have a 1-year-old son and I would like for his favorite athlete to talk to him,” Bell said.

The seminar will take place from 5 p.m. to 6. The entire community of Alva and golfers of all ages are invited to take part in the seminar. There will be no cost to attend the seminar.

The seminar will be conducted by Northwestern senior golfer Ben Eastes, with assistance from sophomore Kyle Ward and senior Amanda Dixon along with other members of the Northwestern golf team.

Clinic topics will include: benefits of running, proper technique, injury prevention and recovery, healthy eating habits, lifetime fitness, and more.

Both clinics will take place west of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Wellness Center in the grass area. There will be no admission charge and all ages are welcome. Water will be provided for all participants. For more information, contact Shane Hansen at 580-327-8644 or at schansen@nwosu.edu.

Northwestern’s players and coaches held a presentation over the NAIA’s Champions of Character, including the five core values: responsibility, respect, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership. After the presentation the students participated in games, followed by Northwestern’s student-athletes signing autographs.

Members of the Ranger golf team will be on hand to instruct and teach fundamentals of golf. 

The clinic will take place south of the softball fields at the Alva Rec. Complex. All participants need to bring their own clubs.

“These two clinics are going to be a lot of fun for people of all ages,” remarked head cross country coach Shane Hansen. “The sport of running has numerous benefits and we look forward to the opportunity to share some of these with the community.”

Clinic topics will include: benefits of running, proper technique, injury prevention and recovery, healthy eating habits, lifetime fitness, and more.

Both clinics will take place west of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Wellness Center in the grass area. There will be no admission charge and all ages are welcome. Water will be provided for all participants.

Running and Nutrition Clinic Brochure

ALVA, Okla.

The event is put on in memory of teammate Meagan Lack’s mom, Cynthia, who passed away on May 31, 2010 after a very courageous battle against uterine cancer.

T-shirts are on sale now and can be ordered for $12 advance until Feb. 28th. You can pre-order shirts from 11 a.m. – noon at the Student Center on the campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University or by calling McKenna Wilson at 580-799-2017 or Stephanie Hines at 580-678-9410. Shirts can be picked up March 7th from 11 a.m. – noon at the student center. 

A free lunch will be served from 1-5 p.m. that will include hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and all the fixings.

Donations are welcome with all proceeds going towards cancer research.

This pass will be good for immediate family members including children 18 and under.

Northwestern will host Lubbock Christian University with the women’s game beginning at 1 p.m. and the men’s game at 3 p.m. Ranger basketball alumni games will follow, with the women’s game being held at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game tipoff set for 6:30 p.m.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is a student-athlete leadership group comprised of members of NWOSU’s athletic teams.  The purpose of the SAAC is to represent the diverse interests of student-athletes to Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Athletic Administration; to promote community among all NWOSU student-athletes; to foster commitment to service; and to represent the NWOSU Athletics Program locally and at the conference and national levels.

“The support and generosity from the Chapel Coalition Committee and volunteers has been tremendous,” stated Jason Bryant, BJCC Program Director. “BJCC is very grateful for all the time that has been donated in making this very needed project a success.  Coach Bay, his coaches, and his baseball team worked extremely hard last week in completing the huge task of assisting in constructing the roof of the new building.”

Fifteen years ago, community leaders and businesses of Alva partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) to develop a corrections facility targeting the rehabilitation of drug-related offenders.  In September 1995, the Bill Johnson Correctional Center (BJCC) opened with a 300 bed capacity for minimum security offenders.  Since then BJCC has seen the offender population increase to 444 in 2008, 550 in 2010, and an anticipated increase to 780 by 2011.  Due to the offender growth in population, BJCC has had to convert dedicated program and religious space into offender housing.  

The initial group of community leaders and businesses that partnered with DOC recognized that to accomplish the goal of reducing recidivism of the drug offender, the need for dedicated program and religious space became urgent.  These community leaders and DOC partnered with World Mission Builders, an organization providing volunteer construction of churches around the world.  With this partnership, BJCC is now constructing a 6,000 square foot Chapel and Visitor Center built to utilize for religious and educational classes.

Many volunteers from many different states have joined the work team in erecting the new BJCC Chapel. 

Eighty-five Ranger football players spent approximately one hour planting 65 trees at the Alva Rec. Complex. The trees will benefit the Alva Rec. Complex and the community.

“The Big Event” is a nationally recognized function with the purpose to strengthen the relationship between the university and the communities it serves while creating positive change. This event offers the opportunity for student organizations, faculty and staff to work together on a wide variety of projects to better the university and community.

Earlier this semester, Ranger football players Ray Grubbs (Kenner, La.) and Kyle Jech (Kingfisher, Okla.) spoke to the First Baptist Church at Fort Supply. The duo talked to students at a Youth Banquet about staying on course in life and making decisions concerning school, work, and relationships.