VillaVoice_Summer_2020 FINAL | Page 15

HIGHLIGHTS & HAPPENINGS The Villa Boosters Organization supports St. Ursula Villa’s athletics with a raffle to raise the funds needed for the Villa’s sports programs - approximately $40,000 annually. Villa Junior High Student Council officers support this initiative by choosing the raffle’s theme, designing t-shirts, and staging a kickoff rally in early September to start ticket sales for students in Kindergarten through Junior High. This important fundraiser ensures St. Ursula Villa athletic programs avoid a “pay to play” model where students and parents are forced to weigh expenses and choose the sports they want to play. The raffle funds cover uniform costs, referee fees, and other expenses to make all sports available to all eligible students. Villa Golf is offered to 7th and 8th-graders. Over the years, our campus facilities have accommodated the growth of sports and programs offered to Villa students. The “new Gym” constructed in 1999 serves as a dedicated space for the Physical Education program as well as practices and game locations for Villa basketball and volleyball teams in grades 3–8. As a Greater Cincinnati Catholic Youth Sports (GCCYS)-designated location, school basketball and volleyball teams from across Cincinnati play games and tournaments in the Villa Gym. To maximize this exposure and help visitors learn more about St. Ursula Villa, the Gym Lobby was redesigned to create a more appealing functional space with Villa-branded logos, images, and visual elements. The soccer fields on the Villa lower campus are now regulation-sized “Passers” fields and accommodate games for K–2nd-grade SAY- East teams during Fall and Spring seasons. Other school facility improvements include directional signage, gym lights, new scoreboard, paved parking lots, and field bleachers. St. Ursula Villa values and emphasizes the importance of strong athletic programs that encourage and develop student growth and skills, offer important volunteer opportunities for parents and alumni, positively establish our school’s reputation, and provide additional layers to our vibrant and dynamic St. Ursula Villa community. SAY East Girls Kickers Area Champions - coached by Trey Savage, Chip Workman, and JD Desmond (in the Eagle costume) 14