SAN FRANCISCO – Continuing a tradition that dates back to 2010, the Academy of Art University Athletics Department assisted at a variety of events during the 2022 edition of San Francisco Fleet Week. Spanning the week of Oct. 3-11, Urban Knights from numerous teams combined to deliver more than 200 community service hours alongside naval and local service members in the City by the Bay.

"Academy of Art Athletics was pleased to be able to support Fleet Week in a broad array of activities this year," said Director of Athletics Brad Jones. "From hosting our own 'Hoops With The Troops' event for the second straight year to participating in the Fleet Week Softball Tournament to volunteering at several other events, we've been able to support with 200 hours of community service in just one week's time. We are proud of our student-athletes and staff's abilities to be involved and give back."

Fleet Week Launch Party
Present to help kick off the festivities in the days leading up Fleet Week, leadership from the ART U Student-Athlete Advisory Committee took part in the Fleet Week Launch Party. Student-athletes representing softball, track & field/cross country, and baseball were able to share an elegant evening in North Beach with service members and local dignitaries.

2022 Softball Tournament
On Oct. 4, Academy of Art softball and baseball student-athletes laced up their cleats and donned their jerseys for what has become an annual fixture in the week's events: The Fleet Week Softball Tournament. Rotating around the Moscone Softball Fields, ART U's combined squad of baseball and softball started with a win over Navy Pier 35 then narrowly dropped a matchup with the San Francisco Fire Department Heat, then rematched Navy Pier 35 all while the teams had an opportunity to get to know one another and enjoy friendly games together. The day was capped by a dinner event that evening which brought together Academy of Art, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Olympic Club, as well as the SF Sheriff, Fire, and Police Departments.

ART U Hoops With The Troops
For the second consecutive year, Academy of Art partnered with the U.S. Navy and Marines, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Police Athletic League of San Francisco, BSN and Nike, Professional Charter Services, and the San Francisco Rotary Club for its "ART U Hoops With The Troops" event. Set on the docking area of the USS Princeton (CG 59), the event saw its participation double as inner city youth learned basketball fundamentals prior to touring the U.S. Navy missile cruiser later that evening.

Senior Leaders Seminars
Held inside Academy of Art University's own Morgan Auditorium, the Fleet Week Senior Leaders Seminars (Oct. 5-6) featured women's tennis, track & field, and women's soccer student-athlete volunteers working to register attendees prior to their opportunity to hear from leaders from local, state, federal and private sector organizations as well as political and diplomatic leaders on the topic of cooperative emergency planning and response. Among those speaking this year was Poland's Ambassador to the United States, The Honorable Marek Magierowski, who provided valuable insights into the challenges his country has faced and how good planning, improvisation, and partnerships with other Western governments, has allowed Poland to meet the tasks at hand.

Honor Our Fallen Concert
Those entering the Herbst Theatre inside the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center on Oct. 6 for the Honor Our Fallen Concert would have met ART U student-athlete volunteers serving as ushers for a special performance by the United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division Band. This year featured a poignant tribute to the service members who volunteered to defend their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Humanitarian Assistance Village
Academy of Art Athletics volunteers contributed to Fleet Week's Humanitarian Assistance Village which took place Oct. 7-9 at the Marina Green in San Francisco. An open-air exhibition which offered behind-the-scenes disaster planning exercises as well as military and civilian medical, rescue, and logistics teams included wide representation with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Coast Guard, California National Guard, U.S. Army, American Red Cross, California Office of Emergency Services, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, San Francisco Fire Department, and Veteran Service Organizations.