HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – In an ongoing effort to connect with the community they are a key member of, Alabama A&M Athletics and Academy Sports + Outdoors teamed together to support the Huntsville Lakewood Recreation Center with a donation of baseball and softball gear.
 
Additionally, Bulldog student-athletes have been working with boys and girls teams of Lakewood, help them develop their skills during a visit on March 22 while serving as positive role models at the same time.
 
"It means a lot that we support our community," said Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks. "We just want to let students in the community know that we care and that we're supporting them during these challenging times and our student-athletes get just as much out of it as the kids do."
 
The effort is part of an initiative with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Academy Sports and Outdoors to support local community organizations and grow a solid relationship from which to build upon.
 
"Through these partnerships it is our hope that it gives a better appreciation of the young people who are committed not only to sports and education but also that they are individuals who recognize they have had people support them throughout their lives and want to give back," added Hicks. "It builds better relationships, creates more partnerships like these and is a win-win for everyone involved."
 
ABOUT ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS
Academy is one of the leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailers in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 259 stores across 16 contiguous states, primarily in the southern United States. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, footwear and sports & recreation through both leading national brands and a portfolio of 17 private label brands, which go well beyond traditional sporting goods and apparel offerings.  
 
ABOUT SWAC/ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOOR PARTNERSHIP
The partnership between Academy Sports + Outdoors and the Southwestern Athletic Conference focuses on establishing meaningful community initiatives within the SWAC footprint. Specifically, these initiatives look to activate and amplify grassroots efforts, such as youth outreach and mentoring programs, that is inclusive of student-athletes and administrators from across the conference.

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