May 12th, 2009
SEGUIN, Texas – For good works in the community and on the Texas Lutheran campus, women’s basketball player Courtney Goodman and football player Ty Palmer have been named the recipients of TLU’s 2009 Community Service Awards.
Goodman and Palmer will serve as TLU’s nominees for the American Southwest Conference Community Service Awards. The conference awards are presented annually in recognition of male and female student-athletes who best display leadership and action in fostering community service on their campus and in their communities.
Each member institution of the ASC selects one male and one female award winner who will appear on the conference-wide award ballot to be voted on by the ASC Directors of Athletics.
Goodman, a sophomore from Keller, Texas (Keller Central H.S.), was honored for her monthly work with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Sports Buddies Program and for her work in the Seguin elementary school system, particularly at Vogel Elementary School and at Koennecke Elementary School.
Goodman was a guest speaker and activities coordinator in physical education classes for a day at Vogel Elementary School, and she was one of the readers at a Family Reading Night at Koennecke Elementary School. As the coordinator for a day of physical education classes, Courtney spoke about the importance of education and overcoming obstacles. She also showed the students various basketball skills and drills. At the Koennecke Family Reading Night, Goodman read the book Lawn Boy to two groups of students and parents.
Goodman was a mentor to a student in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Sports Buddies program. She picked her student up once a month and, together with the student, participated in various sports, a nature hike, and a scavenger hunt.
Texas Lutheran’s involvement in the program earned TLU the Big Brothers Big Sisters 2009 School Partner of the Year Award. Goodman has been the mentor spokeswoman for the Sports Buddies program with both the coaches and sponsors and the local media.
Palmer, a senior from Kerrville (Kerrville Tivy H.S.), has served as TLU’s student president for Fellowship of Christian Athletes for three years. He has volunteered his time in the TLU community and his hometown of Kerrville for the betterment of others. At TLU and in the Seguin community, Ty has worked on the Day of the Dog service projects, which have focused on community clean-up and project improvements in the city of Seguin.
In his hometown of Kerrville, Ty has worked with Kerrville First United Methodist Church in reaching out to the impoverished residents of Kerrville and providing them with basic needs. Ty has also volunteered his time as a Vacation Bible School helper in Kerrville.
At TLU, Ty has served as a chapel leader as part of FCA’s chapel service. Ty was a four-year letterman for the football team and started at fullback and tight end. He was the 2008 ASC Sportsmanship Award Winner for football, and in 2007 he was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team selection. Ty was a three-time ASC Academic All-Conference selection, and he graduated magna cum laude from TLU in May.