George Washington University Athletics
#RevolutionaryPerspective: Dream Team
2/28/2024 1:51:00 PM | Academic Services
GW Student-Athletes from across the department collaborated with "Dream on 3" for an unforgettable experience for local Maryland teenager Tripp Phillips last month. The GW 'Dream Team' was led by Co-Captains Tim Nicholson (Baseball) and Kelly Poole (Women's Soccer). They shared some insight into how this team and event came together.
What is "Dream on 3"?
Dream on 3 is a non-profit organization that makes sports-themed "dreams" come true for kids and young adults, ages 5-21, who are living with life-altering conditions including those with mental health challenges and intellectual disabilities. Dream recipients are given the opportunity to live out their ultimate sports dreams through customized experiences with a favorite athlete, sporting event, or sports team.
College Dream Teams are made up of students who work together in creating, planning and hosting fundraising events, marketing strategies, relationship building with their chosen Dream Kid, and participate in the planning and execution of a Dream Experience.
What made you choose this organization to be involved in?
Kelly: When Tim approached me with the opportunity to be co-captain for GW's Dream Team, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it. As I reflect on how much joy sports have brought to my life, I was so excited to make a child's sports dream come true. Dream on 3's goal to make a positive impact aligns with my core values and approach to life. I am a person who thrives when working to make a difference in the lives of others, and enjoy working in a team environment. Being a captain of GW's Dream Team has been a wonderful leadership experience as well as personally rewarding.
Tim: I joined the GW Dream Team last year after hearing about it from some teammates and friends from other athletic teams. It sounded like, and has been, a really rewarding experience. I really enjoy working with other members of our athletics community and this experience has been a great way for us to come together to make a difference in the lives of people in our community. I have gained so much valuable perspective from all the different aspects of this experience.
What are your current roles with this organization?
Kelly: Tim and I are Co-Captains of George Washington University's Collegiate Dream team. We recruited other student-athletes, organized team meetings, led fundraising efforts, and handed down responsibilities to other team members. We had an initial goal of 10 people, then additional athletes reached out.
Tim: Our fundraising efforts raised over $12,000 through peer-to-peer fundraising and sponsorships. 100% of the team fundraised. We also worked very closely with the athletics department, and appreciate collaborating with the marketing department, athletic administration, and individuals such as Coach Chris Caputo and the GW Men's Basketball team.
Both: This experience was especially rewarding because it involved GW! We got to what we love so much about GW with our dream recipient, Tripp. His experience included a GW Women's Soccer practice at the Mount Vernon Campus, a monument tour, GW Men's basketball shoot-around and game. Our Dream Team members were present throughout his experience - at meals, and events - with Tripp and his family. Tripp and his family really enjoyed spending time with us and our GW teams.
What is your greatest take-away from this experience?
Tim: It was great to come together across so many different teams in our department. It really spoke to our athletics community and how much everyone was willing to contribute. We gained so much from Tripp and his family as well. That was the most rewarding part of the whole experience - to spend time with him and his family and to be able to share what we have access to here at GW. We gained a lot of valuable perspective on life and how experiences like this can make a big difference. Also, people are willing to help if you ask. It's hard to fundraise, but our 'team' was able to come together with help from a lot of people.
Kelly: The most rewarding part of this experience for me was to see Tripp come out of his shell and thrive throughout the weekend. He became very confident and comfortable interacting with so many new people. It was clear that we made an impact on him and his family and it was so special to be a part of. I'm so thankful for an athletic department that has the ability to show so much kindness and compassion, and who will go above and beyond all expectations. Everyone involved made Tripp's weekend better than we ever could have imagined. It's easy to take being a student-athlete for granted, especially when things get tough. Tripp's dream weekend truly gave me a whole new perspective, and I'm so grateful for the experience.
What skills have you developed from being involved with this organization/experience and through your leadership role?
Kelly: Our leadership positions came with a lot of responsibility. Event planning and management was a big part of everything. With such a large number of people involved, both at GW and outside, we had to have consistent and strategic communication. We really wanted to provide Tripp with a great experience, so we focused on attention to detail with all of the different aspects of his event. It was a lot of work but we were very fortunate to have such a hard working and dedicated team.
We encourage other student-athletes to get involved with 'Dream on 3' or other organizations that they are passionate about. We all have very busy schedules with academics and athletic commitments, but it is a really rewarding experience to be involved in your community. There are so many places and ways to be involved on and near campus. You have to be willing to put in time, especially in a leadership position, but it's definitely worth it.
List of student-athletes who are/were part of it:
Captains - Kelly Poole (Women's Soccer), Tim Nicholson (Baseball)
Tim Neumann - Men's Soccer
Maya Goudeseune, Isabelle Kelly, Abby Mansoor, Jessica Robbert - Women's Soccer
Bryan Belo, Reese Crochet, Sam Gates, Alexander Wright - Baseball
Markella Lanara - Volleyball
Moriah Freitas - Swim and Dive
Ashley Corpuz - Softball
Charlotte Bell, Lindsay Thompson - Tennis
Maxine Engel - Women's Basketball
Haley Bolton, Brynn Cohen, Ava Flores- Lacrosse
Looking for ways to get involved? Check out the programs offered by the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service. GW students can find and record their 'impacts' directly through GivePulse.
What is "Dream on 3"?
Dream on 3 is a non-profit organization that makes sports-themed "dreams" come true for kids and young adults, ages 5-21, who are living with life-altering conditions including those with mental health challenges and intellectual disabilities. Dream recipients are given the opportunity to live out their ultimate sports dreams through customized experiences with a favorite athlete, sporting event, or sports team.
College Dream Teams are made up of students who work together in creating, planning and hosting fundraising events, marketing strategies, relationship building with their chosen Dream Kid, and participate in the planning and execution of a Dream Experience.
What made you choose this organization to be involved in?
Kelly: When Tim approached me with the opportunity to be co-captain for GW's Dream Team, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it. As I reflect on how much joy sports have brought to my life, I was so excited to make a child's sports dream come true. Dream on 3's goal to make a positive impact aligns with my core values and approach to life. I am a person who thrives when working to make a difference in the lives of others, and enjoy working in a team environment. Being a captain of GW's Dream Team has been a wonderful leadership experience as well as personally rewarding.
Tim: I joined the GW Dream Team last year after hearing about it from some teammates and friends from other athletic teams. It sounded like, and has been, a really rewarding experience. I really enjoy working with other members of our athletics community and this experience has been a great way for us to come together to make a difference in the lives of people in our community. I have gained so much valuable perspective from all the different aspects of this experience.
What are your current roles with this organization?
Kelly: Tim and I are Co-Captains of George Washington University's Collegiate Dream team. We recruited other student-athletes, organized team meetings, led fundraising efforts, and handed down responsibilities to other team members. We had an initial goal of 10 people, then additional athletes reached out.
Tim: Our fundraising efforts raised over $12,000 through peer-to-peer fundraising and sponsorships. 100% of the team fundraised. We also worked very closely with the athletics department, and appreciate collaborating with the marketing department, athletic administration, and individuals such as Coach Chris Caputo and the GW Men's Basketball team.
Both: This experience was especially rewarding because it involved GW! We got to what we love so much about GW with our dream recipient, Tripp. His experience included a GW Women's Soccer practice at the Mount Vernon Campus, a monument tour, GW Men's basketball shoot-around and game. Our Dream Team members were present throughout his experience - at meals, and events - with Tripp and his family. Tripp and his family really enjoyed spending time with us and our GW teams.
What is your greatest take-away from this experience?
Tim: It was great to come together across so many different teams in our department. It really spoke to our athletics community and how much everyone was willing to contribute. We gained so much from Tripp and his family as well. That was the most rewarding part of the whole experience - to spend time with him and his family and to be able to share what we have access to here at GW. We gained a lot of valuable perspective on life and how experiences like this can make a big difference. Also, people are willing to help if you ask. It's hard to fundraise, but our 'team' was able to come together with help from a lot of people.
Kelly: The most rewarding part of this experience for me was to see Tripp come out of his shell and thrive throughout the weekend. He became very confident and comfortable interacting with so many new people. It was clear that we made an impact on him and his family and it was so special to be a part of. I'm so thankful for an athletic department that has the ability to show so much kindness and compassion, and who will go above and beyond all expectations. Everyone involved made Tripp's weekend better than we ever could have imagined. It's easy to take being a student-athlete for granted, especially when things get tough. Tripp's dream weekend truly gave me a whole new perspective, and I'm so grateful for the experience.
What skills have you developed from being involved with this organization/experience and through your leadership role?
Kelly: Our leadership positions came with a lot of responsibility. Event planning and management was a big part of everything. With such a large number of people involved, both at GW and outside, we had to have consistent and strategic communication. We really wanted to provide Tripp with a great experience, so we focused on attention to detail with all of the different aspects of his event. It was a lot of work but we were very fortunate to have such a hard working and dedicated team.
We encourage other student-athletes to get involved with 'Dream on 3' or other organizations that they are passionate about. We all have very busy schedules with academics and athletic commitments, but it is a really rewarding experience to be involved in your community. There are so many places and ways to be involved on and near campus. You have to be willing to put in time, especially in a leadership position, but it's definitely worth it.
List of student-athletes who are/were part of it:
Captains - Kelly Poole (Women's Soccer), Tim Nicholson (Baseball)
Tim Neumann - Men's Soccer
Maya Goudeseune, Isabelle Kelly, Abby Mansoor, Jessica Robbert - Women's Soccer
Bryan Belo, Reese Crochet, Sam Gates, Alexander Wright - Baseball
Markella Lanara - Volleyball
Moriah Freitas - Swim and Dive
Ashley Corpuz - Softball
Charlotte Bell, Lindsay Thompson - Tennis
Maxine Engel - Women's Basketball
Haley Bolton, Brynn Cohen, Ava Flores- Lacrosse
Looking for ways to get involved? Check out the programs offered by the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service. GW students can find and record their 'impacts' directly through GivePulse.
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