Friday, April 3, 2009
Too often, we hear stories about collegiate teams cracking under pressure and committing “foul” play — recruiting violations, grade inflation, even outright cheating. It’s refreshing to be a part of a university that excels not only on the court, but also in the classroom, sans controversy.
Last fall semester, University of Kansas athletics set a record GPA. The teams altogether averaged 2.99, and of the 16 teams at the University, 10 averaged better than 3.0. Leading the way was the women’s golf team with a combined GPA of 3.46, followed by the volleyball team’s 3.35 average. This is an impressive accomplishment considering the amount of time student athletes commit to their sports.
Ray Bechard, volleyball coach, said his players spent upwards of 20 hours per week in practice and weight training during the season. Allison Mayfield, Overland Park freshman and outside hitter, said she spent about 15 hours per week studying or doing homework on top of that, which she described as nothing when compared to some of her other teammates.
So what makes our University special? Jim Marchiony, associate athletic director, said a number of factors went into student athletes’ positive academic showing. First, he said students had to be self-motivated to do well. Bechard agreed, saying the University recruited good students who managed their time well. Second, Marchiony credited the faculty with understanding the pressure student athletes felt to perform well and to juggle time effectively, especially at a Division I school.
And lastly, we need to credit the University support staff, a network of student and faculty tutors, who Marchiony described as dedicated individuals who knew what they were doing and who cared about the athletes. Mayfield takes advantage of the offered help, going to four hours of tutoring per week. Bechard said very few universities created the kind of atmosphere for success like the University did.
“I feel that at KU you are surrounded by people who truly care not only how well you are doing on the court/field but also about how well you are doing in your classes,” Mayfield said. “If we ever needed help with anything, there would be five people to sit down and help us.”
The University has been able to stand out amongst competition athletically and academically. So next time you see an athlete walking down Jayhawk Blvd., heading off to class, give them a high-five or a well deserved pat on the back for putting in the effort, and hours, to contribute to the University on and off the court.
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Comments
Editorial: Athletes set records with impressive GPAs
http://www.kansan.com/stories/2009/feb/16/student_athletes/
Wow. What a surprise. Cause, have you met Effect yet?
Editorial: Athletes set records with impressive GPAs
wow, 2.99. now that's impressive... especially since all these kids have full-rides.
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