How the Boost (Her) Club fosters connections with not just community, but across Lady Vols teams
MORRISTOWN – Jewel Spear walked slowly behind a group of three elementary-aged girls Saturday morning, offering instruction and encouragement as she directed them in a three-man weave drill.
The campers moved at a walking speed as they learned the drill, and a missed pass was met with a high-five and more encouragement from Spear. After a few times up and down the court, the campers picked up the speed as they got the hang of the drill at the Lady Vols basketball camp.
Spear was there with teammates Tamari Key, Karoline Striplin, Sara Puckett and Jillian Hollingshead. Spear, who transferred to Tennessee from Wake Forest, is getting a taste of what the Lady Vols Boost (Her) Club is like this summer and fall.
"It's been special just to connect with different people from different backgrounds on a personal level, and not just basketball," Spear told Knox News. "People know us as just basketball players, but off the court, them being able to get to know us as people and get in the community, working with little kids that aspire to be us one day. So I think that's very special to connect with them on a personal level as well and build that connection."
The Boost (Her) Club has fostered more connections between not just the Lady Vols and the community, but among Lady Vols teams as well. Spear and her teammates often attend soccer and volleyball games, and there's now an even stronger sense of family between teams.
Striplin said while their team has always felt like a family, they've branched out and become better friends with the other teams, and the Boost (Her) Club is another way for them to be more connected. Striplin, who's going into her junior season, has been part of the growth of the club since it returned in 2022.
"It's been really awesome just to kind of have our own little support group," Striplin said. "We're really appreciative for all the things that they do, the opportunities that they give us. And I think that since my freshman year especially, it's just kind of blossomed into something that we can really rely on as something that we can kind of connect more with our fans through."
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When Striplin plays in Thompson-Boling Arena, she now sees more familiar faces in the stands. The connection with the community is another layer of motivation for players.
"I think it adds a level of support," Spear said. "You already have a why of why you're playing on a personal level, which for me is my family, my parents, just all the sacrifices they made for me. But also knowing the support I have here in Tennessee away from home, it makes a difference because I'm able to play for little kids that look up to me and just show them what it's like to be on a DI level."
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Lady Vols Boost (Her) Club 'blossomed' in its first year back
