News

Ben Smiley, a defensive end on the University of Virginia’s football team, exemplifies the impact that student-athletes can have on their communities. As a sixth-year student from Chesapeake, Virginia, Ben has worked with the CavFutures Foundation throughout the year. His partnership with the CavFutures Foundation has provided him opportunities to engage with the Charlottesville community throughout a diverse array of events.

Ben started the fall semester by working at the CavFutures Foundation’s Back to School Bash, hosted at the Charlottesville Boys and Girls Club. This event provided school supplies, sneakers, and haircuts for local children, and it included food and games as well. Ben was one of dozens of UVA student-athletes partnered with CavFutures Foundation who helps support the event, and his leadership and passion for serving his community were on display throughout the event.

In December, Ben wrapped up the fall semester by working at the CavFutures Foundation flag football clinic which was held in conjunction with HER Sports. This event was an opportunity to encourage, engage, and empower young girls through sport and was the first of several clinics to help build interest in a girls flag-football league in Charlottesville. As a talented football player, Ben helped coach the young participants through drills as they learned basic skills, and even joined in the pick-up game when one team needed help in the quarterback position.

In addition to working at individual events, Ben consistently mentors at a local elementary school. He spends this time with fifth-grade boys, helping them with homework, playing games with them, and tossing around a football. This has been a worthwhile experience for Ben, as he describes, “Working with kids at a local elementary school has allowed me to not only build impactful and meaningful relationships with kids but also enabled me to be a positive role model, especially for those without father figures.” Ben has been an inspiration to the students he mentors, as described by the teachers he's worked with: he never fails to light up the classroom and his gentle demeanor helps him quickly connect with students and earn their trust.

Most recently, Ben is partnering with the Charlottesville Ballet to endorse The Keith Lee Scholarship Fund. This new scholarship program seeks to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Charlottesville Ballet Academy, and it specifically aims to support young and diverse men. The promotional campaign will emphasize the benefits of ballet for everyone, football players included. Ben is featured in a lighthearted video that will help promote the scholarship throughout the Charlottesville community, displaying further evidence of his commitment to supporting young children in his community however he can.

Throughout his time working with the CavFutures Foundation, Ben has connected with the Charlottesville community in many meaningful ways. He is a steadfast and reliable student-athlete, both on and off the field. Kellie Booth, Director of Marketing, Media, and Athlete Engagement for CavFutures describes Ben as, “The perfect example of how well our student–athletes can connect to young kids and really inspire them.”