Charity Outfits Student Athletes in Yap

New athletic jerseys in school colors of Yap Catholic and the SDA School(Columbia, South Carolina) US-based charity Habele has sent a collection  of custom designed sports uniforms to Yap Catholic High School and SDA  School, the two private high schools on the Micronesian island of Yap.  The uniforms, the first of their kind for both schools, will help  inaugurate intramural sports leagues at both schools.

“We’re tremendously excited to be helping the high schools with their  nascent sports programs,” said Alex Sidles, a Habele director. “These  uniforms will give the students a lot of pride and enthusiasm for their  schools.”  Previously, the students had been crafting crude jerseys out  of old t-shirts by spray-painting the cloth beneath handmade cardboard  stencils.

The new uniforms feature the schools’ names and colors on one side—light  blue for Yap Catholic, maroon for SDA—and can also be turned inside-out  to reveal a white side. The American made reversible jerseys allow the  schools to set up teams within their own campuses.

“These are really good uniforms,” said Sidles. “We had them custom  designed and crafted for each school. I’ve seen the student athletes  play at these schools, and they deserve the best equipment we can get  them.”

Old Yap Catholic Jerseys.jpg

In addition to the uniforms, Habele will be sending high quality  basketballs and volleyballs to each school. “Sports are such an  important part of growing up to be a healthy, well-rounded adult,” said  Sidles. “It’s a real pleasure to help these schools out with that.”Old "jerseys" were actually spray-painted t-shirts

The two schools are not yet scheduled to play regular matches against  one another, but Sidles said he is hoping for a couple of exhibition  games during the school year. One possibility is to incorporate an  exhibition game into the Yap Robot Day festival. The two schools’  robotics teams compete against each other on Robot Day, and it might be  possible to showcase a game between their sports teams at the same  event.

“The uniforms just open up more possibilities for public games,  intramural leagues, competitions between schools, whatever you can think  of,” said Sidles. “I played basketball for my high school, and it was  one of my favorite parts of the high school experience.”

Habele has been working with the two private schools for years,  providing scholarships to needy students, supplying the robotics  program, and making the targeted donation of library materials. The  sports program is Habele’s first initiative in this field and was made  possible by Habele’s US-based donors and volunteers, including Barbara  and Ray Dalio of Connecticut. Those interested in learning more or in  helping Habele’s educational mission can visit www.habele.org

by: Neil Mellen

Habele Outer Island Education Fund

njm@habele.org

(803) 586-2358