Most people on campus know of junior record-breaking quarterback Zach Taylor for what he’s accomplished on the football field — he will be a three-time captain next fall, was an honorable-mention All-NCAC selection in 2018 after compiling 18 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns, and was a Male Athlete of the Year nominee at the 2019 Obie Awards….However, what many people don’t know about him is how he spent many of his Saturday afternoons this past semester.
Every other Saturday, Taylor and eight or nine of his teammates made the trek to FoxCreek Golf and Racquet Club in Lorain, Ohio to volunteer for Buddy Up Tennis, a national organization that hosts weekly 90-minute clinics for children and young adults with down syndrome. These athletes are partnered with “buddies” like Taylor and his teammates, who take them through conditioning and tennis drills that help them build social skills and confidence on top of keeping them active physically. Taylor became interested in Buddy Up Tennis over two years ago during his first semester at Oberlin, when the organization was mentioned at a SAAC meeting. He began going the following semester and loved it so much that he spread it to his teammates. Although it’s completely voluntary, many members of the football team have made it a bi-weekly commitment this spring. Read More HERE.