Too often in sports we concentrate on the small faction of athletes who get into trouble away from their respective sports. As the old saying goes, "Bad news sells!" However, trust me when I say this, the overwhelming majority of athletes do not get arrested on a regular basis or curse out fans in public. They are much more likely to be involved in some type of community service rather than illegal activity. I just wished more media outlets presented these stories to the general public, and I wish more of the general public clamored to hear these stories.
Here's a great example of an athlete doing something to give back to her community. And you don't have to be a superstar to make a difference. This story by Jill Painter appeared recently in the Los Angeles Daily News.
By Jill Painter, columnist
Noelle Quinn was counting down the days until her trip home to Los Angeles via her computer's instant messenger.
Noelle Quinn was counting down the days until her trip home to Los Angeles via her computer's instant messenger.
But this trip was more special than most.
Quinn, the Minnesota Lynx guard who grew up in LosAngeles and starred at UCLA, helped hand out 25-pound boxes of food to families, many of whom she has known for years, on Wednesday.
The event, which backed up traffic on Vermont Avenue across the street from USC, was held in the parking lot at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, the church Quinn has attended all her life. She went to preschool there, too.
Folks were there to meet Quinn and accept some help in the form of canned foods and toiletries.
"Since I landed in L.A., I've had a smile," Quinn said. "I'm happy to be back. It's an opportunity to give to the community. I didn't know what to expect. I'm happy people were able to come out and that I was able to see some happy faces.
"They were amazed to see me, but at the same time, it was amazing to see them."
