NSU soccer coach named BAHFH’s Mr. Habitat 2011

Nicholls State University’s third-year head soccer coach took home Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity’s title of Mr. Habitat 2011 Thursday. Dylan Harrison was among eight men vying for the title.

“Being crowned Mr. Habitat 2011 is amazing. I’m deeply honored to represent the area Habitat for Humanity,” Harrison said.

Harrison participated in the event as a way to show his team that volunteering is one of the most important aspects of being a model citizen in the community.

The team under his leadership has volunteered for the BAHFH 5k Run/Walk for the past two years. During his first year as head coach, the Nicholls soccer players participated in the organization’s Women’s Build.

“We ask our players to be more than just athletes. We asked them to be good students and to help out in the community,” Harrison said. “But I am not the type of coach who will ask them to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself. I figured participating in such a worthy cause is the best way to lead by example.”

This is Harrison’s second year entering the Mr. Habitat contest. He never imagined winning.

“After participating last year, I felt pretty comfortable with the competition,” he said. “But winning was the furthest thing from my mind. I came out to have fun. I enjoyed competing in the games and bonding with the guys.”

Among the others winners were Nicholls student Kendrick Green (second runner-up) and U.S. Postal Service employee Connery Keith Charles (third runner-up).

Green and Charles are both first-year participants. By their own accounts, each had personal reasons for joining the Mr. Habitat family.

Charles said he felt it was necessary for people in the community to see familiar faces doing positive things.

Green’s mother, on the other hand, planted the seed for him to be a Habitat volunteer back in 2006 when she took him to his first Habitat home build.

“I had no idea what Habitat for Humanity was about back then,” he said. “But my mom explained to me that the people building the home were all volunteers. Then, she told me that I would be a volunteer one day, too. So here I am doing my part to help Habitat with its mission.”

This year’s Mr. Habitat competition was fierce. The games included childhood favorite musical chairs, CD Dominos and international trivia.

Guest judge Sheri Eschete said the night included the roughest round of musical chairs she had ever witnessed. And she thoroughly enjoyed the international trivia portion.

“I could tell that the contestants put a lot of effort into the competition,” Eschete said.

Thibodaux’s first lady appeared on the judge’s panel with Southdown Museum and Plantation House executive director Katie LeCompte and Thibodaux attorney Germaine Jackson.

Jackson is a familiar face with BAHFH, having served on the organization’s board of directors for a stint. Eschete and LeCompte are newcomers just as majority of the contestants were.

“This was my first time being involved with fundraising for Habitat for Humanity,” Eschete said. “Everyone needs to know about Habitat and the work they do for the community.”

Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds simple, decent homes that are sold to families at an affordable monthly rate. The organization has built 110 homes locally since its inception in 1995.

“Habitat for Humanity’s name speaks for itself,” Green said. “It’s a grass-roots organization building homes for families who deserve a piece of happiness.”

Executive Director Andrea Clark said, overall, Mr. Habitat was a success. The Habitat staff and committees are in the process of planning for next year’s event.

“My hat goes off to the Mr. Habitat Committee and all the vendors who donated items and food,” she said. “When you have this type of response from the community, we know we are doing something right.”