Millersville tennis lends a hand to Pulse Nightclub
3/25/2019 1:52:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, Features
Millersville, Pa. - Less than a year after a mass shooting killed 49 innocent civilians and injured 53 more, the Millersville University men's and women's tennis teams accidentally drove by the scene of the tragedy during their 2017 spring break trip in Orlando, Fla. This inspired the teams to revisit the Pulse Nightclub during their spring break trip this season for their annual community service trip.
"I was in a van full of wild college students, but as we drove by the scene it became silent," head coach Matt Helsel said. "Everyone realized where we were passing through when we saw all of the flowers and teddy bears."
Last season, both teams earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Community Service award in the Atlantic Region, and they looked to continue their humanitarian work off the court this season. Given the tragedies they have seen on television in the past year, the Marauders decided on a theme for this season's community service: helping those who have been affected by gun violence.
Helsel called the decision to volunteer at the site of the Pulse nightclub a "natural fit" given that the teams would be in Orlando and it fit perfectly with their theme.
"I didn't know anything about what was going on there and had to do some digging, but I eventually got in contact with some people from the Pulse foundation and they were able to point me in the right direction," he said.
Helsel reached out to Nikole Parker, the Event/Community Outreach Coordinator for onePULSE Foundation, Inc. Before the tragedy Parker would go to Pulse on a weekly basis and she described it as her "safe place." After the shooting Parker began volunteering at the site, and she now coordinates events, such as the June 12 Remembrance Ceremony, and works with volunteers who come to help at the site.
Just before arriving at the Pulse Nightclub, Victoria Hanus clinched a 4-3 win for the Millersville women's team over Saint Thomas Aquinas with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at flight six singles. The men also played well in their match, narrowly losing to the Spartans, 4-3.
"We went right after our matches and they were all very tired," Helsel said. "The women were very happy coming off of their win, but when we got to the memorial everyone became 100 percent focused on listening and taking in the message. As Nikole spoke and talked about the tragedy, I could see them getting re-energized and motivated."
The Marauders spent the late afternoon cleaning up and beautifying a site that less than three years ago witnessed the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. The largest memorial at the site is a mural which features pictures of the victims, LGBTQ pride flags and even a letter of condolence from the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
They also helped clean glass panels that surround the club, the merchandise area and the inside of the club, which is currently not open to the public. According to Parker, the plan is for the club to be transformed into a permanent memorial and museum, although no designs will be revealed until later this year.
"I believe the onePULSE Foundation, Inc. has created a safe space for reflection," Parker said. "So many visitors came to the Pulse site even when it was just a chain-link fence. Now it's a place where people can come by and reflect. We've had visitors from all around the world who were touched by the Pulse tragedy. We work hard to ensure our 49 angels are never forgotten and spread our message that 'We Will Not Let Hate Win.'"
The team agreed that it was impossible to not be caught up in emotions and pausing for thought when visiting the site of a tragedy. This was certainly the case for Helsel, who came out of the experience feeling more hopeful than anything else.
"It's easy to lose track of all the tragedies you see on television after a while," he said. "It's like when you get a cut on your body and your body heals, but now you have a scab and a scar. There are still signs of previous wounds there. But, the community has used it as a way of healing and coming together, and it was really powerful to see that."
While cleaning the area with heavy hearts, the community service helped bring the Marauders even closer together as a team and they impressed Parker with their willingness to help out in any way possible.
"I loved how eager they were," she said. "You never know how people will react when they come to the site. They were genuinely listening to the story of Pulse and wanted to lend a hand in any way that they could. It truly meant the world to us."
Helsel was equally grateful of the opportunity for him and his teams to help out.
"We want to thank Nikole for the opportunity," he said. "We were really happy to help out and I wish them the best. As a society we move on and think about the most recent tragedy or which one is going to happen next. I don't want places like this to be forgotten. They need resources too, and we can't forget about them."
The experience left Helsel and the Marauders with valuable life lessons that they will take with them through their everyday lives, as well as on the court.
"Any time we, as coaches, get an opportunity to show our players that there is more to life than what happens on a tennis court, and we get to show that there is a bigger perspective to be thought of, that's the true lesson," Helsel said. "What we do on the court is not life or death; it's a small part of what being alive is all about. When you're able to put the sport in perspective I think it helps you play better because you're able to think of it on a more macro level."
FOLLOW THE MARAUDERS
• Be the first to know what's going on with the Marauders -- Follow @VilleMarauders on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Millersville Athletics on Facebook, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To support the Marauders, join the Black & Gold Club.
"I was in a van full of wild college students, but as we drove by the scene it became silent," head coach Matt Helsel said. "Everyone realized where we were passing through when we saw all of the flowers and teddy bears."
Last season, both teams earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Community Service award in the Atlantic Region, and they looked to continue their humanitarian work off the court this season. Given the tragedies they have seen on television in the past year, the Marauders decided on a theme for this season's community service: helping those who have been affected by gun violence.
Helsel called the decision to volunteer at the site of the Pulse nightclub a "natural fit" given that the teams would be in Orlando and it fit perfectly with their theme.
"I didn't know anything about what was going on there and had to do some digging, but I eventually got in contact with some people from the Pulse foundation and they were able to point me in the right direction," he said.
Helsel reached out to Nikole Parker, the Event/Community Outreach Coordinator for onePULSE Foundation, Inc. Before the tragedy Parker would go to Pulse on a weekly basis and she described it as her "safe place." After the shooting Parker began volunteering at the site, and she now coordinates events, such as the June 12 Remembrance Ceremony, and works with volunteers who come to help at the site.
Just before arriving at the Pulse Nightclub, Victoria Hanus clinched a 4-3 win for the Millersville women's team over Saint Thomas Aquinas with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at flight six singles. The men also played well in their match, narrowly losing to the Spartans, 4-3.
"We went right after our matches and they were all very tired," Helsel said. "The women were very happy coming off of their win, but when we got to the memorial everyone became 100 percent focused on listening and taking in the message. As Nikole spoke and talked about the tragedy, I could see them getting re-energized and motivated."
The Marauders spent the late afternoon cleaning up and beautifying a site that less than three years ago witnessed the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. The largest memorial at the site is a mural which features pictures of the victims, LGBTQ pride flags and even a letter of condolence from the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.They also helped clean glass panels that surround the club, the merchandise area and the inside of the club, which is currently not open to the public. According to Parker, the plan is for the club to be transformed into a permanent memorial and museum, although no designs will be revealed until later this year.
"I believe the onePULSE Foundation, Inc. has created a safe space for reflection," Parker said. "So many visitors came to the Pulse site even when it was just a chain-link fence. Now it's a place where people can come by and reflect. We've had visitors from all around the world who were touched by the Pulse tragedy. We work hard to ensure our 49 angels are never forgotten and spread our message that 'We Will Not Let Hate Win.'"
The team agreed that it was impossible to not be caught up in emotions and pausing for thought when visiting the site of a tragedy. This was certainly the case for Helsel, who came out of the experience feeling more hopeful than anything else.
"It's easy to lose track of all the tragedies you see on television after a while," he said. "It's like when you get a cut on your body and your body heals, but now you have a scab and a scar. There are still signs of previous wounds there. But, the community has used it as a way of healing and coming together, and it was really powerful to see that."
While cleaning the area with heavy hearts, the community service helped bring the Marauders even closer together as a team and they impressed Parker with their willingness to help out in any way possible.
"I loved how eager they were," she said. "You never know how people will react when they come to the site. They were genuinely listening to the story of Pulse and wanted to lend a hand in any way that they could. It truly meant the world to us."
Helsel was equally grateful of the opportunity for him and his teams to help out.
"We want to thank Nikole for the opportunity," he said. "We were really happy to help out and I wish them the best. As a society we move on and think about the most recent tragedy or which one is going to happen next. I don't want places like this to be forgotten. They need resources too, and we can't forget about them."
The experience left Helsel and the Marauders with valuable life lessons that they will take with them through their everyday lives, as well as on the court.
"Any time we, as coaches, get an opportunity to show our players that there is more to life than what happens on a tennis court, and we get to show that there is a bigger perspective to be thought of, that's the true lesson," Helsel said. "What we do on the court is not life or death; it's a small part of what being alive is all about. When you're able to put the sport in perspective I think it helps you play better because you're able to think of it on a more macro level."
FOLLOW THE MARAUDERS
• Be the first to know what's going on with the Marauders -- Follow @VilleMarauders on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Millersville Athletics on Facebook, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To support the Marauders, join the Black & Gold Club.
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