Now that we've segued rather brusquely into the bowl season – which itself is the doorstep to the offseason, if you ask me – we'll be busting out these Monday columns, as usual, with a twist: Instead of five players we loved, we'll give you six strong takes on news in and around Husker sports. Don't worry – heavy dose of the pigskin, still. And we'll have a special bowl review, too.

One with the Monday fun!

*The Heisman vote is a total bummer, of course; Ndamukong Suh should have won, and he had zero business finishing fourth behind, of all people, Texas' Colt McCoy. Clearly, a good chunk chunk of the voters didn't bother waiting until championship week. How thoughtful of them.

You know what else is a sham? Votes equally apportioned by region. Not only does that ignore the population quotient – the West Region has far more people in it than most of the geographical subsections – it hands 145 votes to the Northeast Region, which is, essentially, New England.

Want to guess how many Division I programs are in the entire region? Five. Army, Syracuse, Buffalo, Connecticut and Boston College. Even if one assumes that a good chunk of the votes go to ESPN (located in Bristol, Connecticut) you're still awarding votes to a region where baseball and college basketball reign supreme. How often – if ever again – will that region have a player in the Heisman running?

One-sixth of the Heisman race should not be decided by a region with no dog in the fight.

*Before pigskin pundits automatically hand the defense from Suh to fellow defensive tackle Jared Crick, may we gently suggest that the real heir apparent to Suh's excellence, in least in 2010, is cornerback Prince Amukamara. Surprised? Don't be. At 6-foot-1, Amukamara is the perfect size for boundary corner, and his first-team All-Big 12 selection was well-earned. Not only does he have the superior physical tools for his position – much like Suh had – Amukamara is surrounded by talent in what could be the nation's best secondary next year.

Not that Crick won't be excellent. I just think Amukamara is more symbolic of the defense's strength in 2010.

*Head coach Bo Pelini needs to use the bowl preparation as a laboratory for new players and ideas on offense. He doesn't necessarily need to unveil them in the bowl game. But he should use the time between now and, oh, Dec. 27 as a training ground for 2010. Open up the toolbox. Look hard at using the Wildcat – either with Rex Burkhead or Taylor Martinez or Roy Helu – for a power running game.

*Enough of this panic and nonsense over losing Tyler Gabbert to Missouri. Yes – it stinks because Nebraska wasted so much time on the kid. But, other than that: Develop what you have. Martinez didn't fall off the back of a produce truck. Ron Kellogg III quietly had a nice year on the scout team. Cody Green darn well better be ready to take over in 2010, given his experiences this year. Zac Lee? Had his chance in games. He practices too much better than he plays in games. Pelini, of course, always wants his guys to practice well. But he'll also reserve his final judgment for when “the bullets are flying.”

*Didn't write much about volleyball this year – but watched enough of it. John Cook squeezed as much juice out of this 2009 team as he could. In 2010, with another stellar recruiting class (and Penn State in slight rebuilding mode) NU can make a harder run at the national title. The key, to me? Turning the offense over to outside hitter Hannah Werth. Build it around one of the better athletes in Husker history, and get Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller to fill supporting roles behind her. Make Werth a captain, too, for that matter. Will Cook, used to relying on quiet giants like Sarah Pavan, pull the trigger on the shorter, ultra-competitive Werth? If he wants to win the national title, he will.

*The Nebraska men's basketball team will round into shape as a defensive stalwart by the Big 12 season. The question is: Will the offense come around? It's not looking terrific so far. Against USC, Oregon State. Saint Louis and Creighton – the four strongest teams on NU's schedule thus far – the Huskers have averaged 51 points, and possessions have, once, again, ticked down to the end of the shot clock, with little ball movement on dribble penetration in sight. The Big 12 is just too grueling for NU to play like that. It's twice as tough this year as it was last, as Iowa State, Texas Tech and Kansas State – heck, even Colorado – are much stronger.

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For a set Saturday night, it appeared that at least one Nebraska team was about to pound a stake through the heart of Texas' national championship dreams.

The tenth-seeded NU volleyball squad had just taken the first game from No. 2 UT in the NCAA regional final, and a hugely partisan Husker crowd at the Qwest Center – who had seen performances like this so many times before – were bubbling over with noise and confidence.

But the senior-laden Longhorns – led by the best college athlete in America right now, Destinee Hooker – wiped the blood off their collective lip and unleashed some of their best volleyball of the season. Over the next hour, all the flaws of a tough-but-young Nebraska team – so-so serving, inconsistent defense, minor blips in communication – resurfaced, and Texas, quieting a stunned-but-impressed crowd, steamrolled to a 21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-17 victory to advance to the Final Four in Tampa.

“That’s a very experienced team, and they played better than us tonight,” NU coach John Cook said. “We don’t feel like we played our best, and I’m sure the girls will say that, but you have to give some credit to Texas for taking that and putting the pressure on us.”

Texas (28-1) struggled in the opening set as Nebraska (26-7) used a quick, effective attack to build an early lead. Outside hitters Hannah Werth and Tara Mueller landed some early kills. Left-side Lindsey Licht continued her hot play. UT uncharacteristically committed eight errors, as the crowd of nearly 10,000 at the Qwest seemed to unnerve the favored the Longhorns, who had unraveled one year before in the Final Four on the same floor.

“We came out a little bit shaky and made some uncharacteristic errors early in game one,” UT coach Jerrit Elliot said. “(We) never gave up, we showed a lot of mental toughness, and we battled from every aspect. You want the season to go on.”

UT didn't waver in set two. Nebraska did, committing 10 errors. Werth hit wide several times – she finished with only seven kills on the night. Texas' middle block came over to neutralize NU's best offense for much of November, Kori Cooper and Brooke Delano. Once Texas took a 17-16 lead in the set, they rolled to the victory.

Hooker, the 6-4 senior who the nation's best high jumper as well as one of the nation's best volleyball players, dominated the last half of the match. She finished with a game-high 18 kills and four aces. NU struggled to locate and defend her jump serve all night.

“Our game plan was good against her, but she hurt us with her jump serve,” Cook said. “They move her around so it makes her hard to defend. She’s a special player and she’s a senior, and we’ll see if she can get it done and win a national championship.”

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“We have a responsibility as coaches to train athletes in a functional way. Our lifestyles promote poor posture, and our training methods develop imbalances in our athletes. Our goal at Nebraska is to develop functional athletes who play without pain and do not compensate on the court. If we can succeed with our program, the Huskers will always have an edge on the court.”

-- John Cook, Head Coach of the University of Nebraska Women’s Volleyball Team

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Kia Kaha. Among the Maori in New Zealand, it means “forever strong.”

That’s the motto of Nebraska’s 2009 volleyball team, head coach John Cook announced Wednesday, a squad that will be one of his youngest – as many as five freshmen may contend for playing time – and almost certainly his most athletic.

“We’ve always been coined as the ‘big girls,’” Cook said. “Slow, big, dominant at the net. This is going to be a different feel. This is going to be a team that plays fast.”

How fast? Cook described the first handful of fall practices as volleyball played at “hyperspeed” with “ESPN-highlight plays” made by a multitude of Huskers already. He likened NU’s new style to men’s volleyball, and the Brazil women’s national team.

“We need to make this gym bigger because they can get to wherever that ball is,” Cook said.

Cook also said his players could stand toe-to-toe with Nebraska’s football team athletically.

Eight Huskers were in the “2000-point club” for their scores on four performance drills – 10-yard dash, vertical jump, pro agility run and approach jump. Last year at this time, Cook said, there weren’t any players at that mark.

Safe to say that some of those five freshmen – Paige Hubl, Gina Mancuso, Megan Pendergast, Hayley Thramer and Hannah Werth – were part of that list. Cook called them “gym rats.” None were late for a workout or a meeting this summer.

“This freshman class is legit,” Cook said. “…The game of volleyball doesn’t know how old you are.”

Two of NU’s better teams – in 2000 and 2005 – used freshmen as a key part of their runs. The catalyst in 2000, Laura Pilakowski, is now Nebraska’s strength and conditioning guru. In 2005, the boost was provided by Jordan Larson.

“All of them,” answered senior middle blocker Kori Cooper when asked which freshmen could play a role in 2009. All-American outside hitter Tara Mueller – NU’s best returning offensive weapon – said it will be a matter of which of them make plays during fall camp and finds the best rhythm.

One of them is likely to be Hannah Werth, the Springfield, Ill., native who enrolled last spring and got plenty of swings during NU’s spring exhibition season. Werth had one of the team’s highest vertical jumps and broke the school record for the 10-yard dash at 1.57 seconds.

Werth, one of the most highly touted outside hitter recruits in recent memory, already knows the expectations of knowledgeable Husker fans.

“That’s why I came to Nebraska,” Werth said. “Because of how high the expectations are. I’ve always been surrounded by great players, so knowing I have to live up to those expectations? It’s a great feeling.”

Werth will initially back up Mueller, a junior from Scottsdale, Ariz., whom Cook said became a “great leader” over the summer with junior libero Kayla Banwarth, setter Sydney Anderson and senior middle blocker Kori Cooper. Mueller will have to fill some of the leadership gap left behind by Larson, Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz, the catalysts behind that thrilling 2008 run.

Their defense - and Larson’s vicious jump serve – will be tough to replace as well, although Mueller is confident Nebraska was on its way.

“We don’t have that solid jump server out there,” Mueller said. “But we have a bunch of tough float serves. And we push each other in practice. We’re really low in errors so far. We have not missed that many. Our serving is already at a high level.”

Avoiding errors in this faster offense, Cook said, would be crucial in 2009.

“How close to the wall can we go into the turn without hitting the wall?” he said.

Much of the responsibility will fall on Anderson, the calm junior setter who stepped into a dicey situation last year and earned an All-America spot. Anderson worked through the summer getting used to shorter, quicker outside hitters in an effort to produce a fast-set, fast-kill offense like Penn State, which tore through every team not named Nebraska in 2008.

“It just takes time,” she said. “It’s not gonna come in one day. It’ll happen over time….I don’t think we looked at (Penn State) and said ‘we wanna be like them,’ but it’s a great offense and if we can run it be successful at it, then that will help us in the long run.”

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It’s the kind of thing that usually happens in college basketball: Child phenoms pledging their commitment to a university early in their high school career.

It rarely happens in women’s volleyball. And it’s even rarer right out of junior high. And with twins?

Yep, Big Red Ripley, believe it.

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook landed his first two commitments for the 2013 class – that’s y’know, after the next round of presidential elections – from 6-foot-2 Papillion twins Amber and Kadi Rolfzen.

Both attended a Husker volleyball camp last weekend and impressed Cook enough for him to offer an open invitation, apparently. He can’t technically provide a written offer for some time.

Their club and high school coach projects they’ll be outside hitters in college. They’re probably not done growing, either.

Mixed feelings here. While it's important to lock up the best talents within the borders, Nebraska generally does that anyway. These twins weren't going anywhere.

And it's a ton of pressure to put on two kids just going into high school, which can be weird enough as it is.

That said, Jordan Larson committed to NU early in her high school career - not this early, but early - and finished her Nebraska career as a national championship and a revered leader.

Quite a journey these two are about to go on for the next eight years of their lives. Nebraska fans will be paying a little more attention.

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Nebraska's volleyball team never ducks any non-conference opponent, and head coach John Cook isn't about to switch up his routine now.

But the 2009 schedule, unveiled Wednesday, was crafted with a nod to the Cornhuskers' loyal, raucous fan base.

NU will play two tournaments in the state of Nebraska - one at Omaha's Qwest Center and one in Lincoln at the NU Coliseum and the Bob Devaney Sports Center - in an effort to give fans as big a chance as possible to witness the Big Red.

Once again, Cook's crew will kick off the season Aug. 28-29 with the Runza/AVCA Showcase in Omaha, as NU and Big 12 partner Kansas State take on Michigan and Minnesota in a modified round-robin format. The Huskers hammered the Wolverines in the third round of the NCAA Tournament last year, while the Gophers were upset in the second round by upstart Iowa State.

Two weeks later, NU hosts Virginia, BYU and UCLA over three nights for the Ameritas Players Challenge. The marquee match of the weekend vs UCLA, which should contend for the Pac 10 title next year, will be held in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The weekend coincides with NU's home football game with Arkansas State.

“When we set up this year’s tournament, we wanted to make it over a whole weekend and allow our fans to come to Lincoln and enjoy both volleyball and football,” Cook said. “This format allows us to play three quality matches and and have teams rested during the week. We have developed a great rivalry with UCLA over the years, and there will be a lot of interest in this match. With two young teams, playing in that setting will bring the best out of everyone and we should be able to create a great environment.”

Sandwiched in between those two events is a tournament at LSU, where the young Huskers will face the Tigers and Tulane, both of whom qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, along with Louisiana-Lafayette.

On Sept. 1, NU will host Creighton, as well.

The Big 12 slate remains a 20-game schedule. The Huskers are done with Final Four-qualifier Texas reasonably early next year, by Halloween, but have pivotal matches late in the season at Iowa State and Kansas State.

“The Big 12 will be loaded this year and could be the most competitive it has been in a long time,” Cook said. “Texas and Iowa State are coming off of great finishes last year, while Texas A&M returns almost everyone and was playing its best volleyball in November. Baylor has a lot of experience returning, and Oklahoma returns most of its lineup after starting three freshmen. It really is shaping up to be a great year for the league.”

Which Bowl is Nebraska headed to?

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January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.


The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.


Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.


The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.


Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

Permanent Link to this Blog Post

January is National Mentoring Month, and General Colin Powell leads the national charge in recruiting mentors throughout the country. The theme this year is “Expand your Universe. Mentor a Child,” and his campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month, Thank Your Mentor Day will be celebrated on January 22. Thank Your Mentor Day promotes "Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor": 1) contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation; 2) pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community; 3) make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program; and, 4) write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.

The TeamMates Mentoring Program has set a goal to recruit over 500 new mentors throughout the month of January. There will be an appreciation luncheon for mentors scheduled for January 28th at the TipTop Ballroom in downtown Omaha.

Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook and Athletic Director Tom Osborne will be speaking about mentoring. Anyone interested in advancing the cause of mentoring is welcome. Seats can be reserved by contacting Gayle Norris at gnorris@teammates.org or by calling 1-877-531-TEAM.

The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. Volunteers give one hour per week to mentor. To join the team and be a mentor go to www.teammates.org or call 1-877-531-TEAM.

Suzanne Hince
Executive Director, TeamMates Mentoring Program
Tel. 402-323-6255
E-mail: shince@teammates.org

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