Jan. 15, 2010

The popular A Day In Troy event that highlights the annual USC-UCLA women's basketball showdown at USC's Galen Center combines forces with a powerful outreach program founded by USC student-athletes on Sunday (Jan. 17). The importance of the USC athletic department's involvement in the Los Angeles community came to the forefront after gun-related violence took the life of one USC men's basketball player and injured a men's track athlete in separate incidents in 2006 and 2008, respectively. In order to reach out and provide positive role models to youths, SCORE [Servicing Community through Outreach, Recreation and Education] was created and continues to grow within the Los Angeles community and beyond.

SCORE is designed to use the platform that student-athletes have as role-models within their community to encourage K-8 students in School, Life, and Health. The program is broken up into four quarters -- Outreach, Recreation, Education, and Successful Decision-Making. At the end of the program student-athletes encourage the K-8 students to make a game plan incorporating the lessons learned from the four quarters as to how they will reach college.

Founded by USC's Craig Kelley (Associate Athletic Director), Barry Eggleston (Athletic Department Staff) and Stenn Parton (Captain Men's Track and Field 2008-2009), the SCORE program has teamed up with USC student-athletes to reach over 8,000 K-8 students in Los Angeles County in eight months. Parton was named 2009 Pac-10 Sportsman of the Year for his efforts in the creation and implementation of SCORE within Los Angeles community.

SCORE has been adopted by all 10 Pac-10 universities as a unifying community outreach program, and will be present at the NCAA national conference in mid-January. There, the USC SCORE representatives plan to give each NCAA conference the opportunity to adopt the SCORE program as a NCAA blanket community outreach program.

Sunday's A Day In Troy event at Galen Center features a presentation of SCORE by USC student-athletes Matt Barkley (football), Kristi Rigterink (swimming), Farren Benjamin (track), Jon Hackett (volleyball), Danny Beck (baseball) and Liz Olear (track). Throughout the day, members of the USC women's volleyball, men's basketball, football and track teams will be involved in the various stages of USC's A Day in Troy program as well.

For more information on SCORE, CLICK HERE

USC vs. UCLA • 2:30 p.m. • Sunday, Jan. 17 • Galen Center