V  O  L  U  M  E    1 ,   I  S  S  U  E    7
Continued

Accountable Goal-Setting: The Keys to Success for Student-Athletes

By: Christopher Straub, M.S., Head Men’s Cross Country and Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach Elizabethtown College

Goal-setting is a common activity shared by most student-athletes and their coach. Those involved in sport love to dream about and discuss what is possible. Our goals drive us to pursue rigorous training to best prepare us for competition. Yet, in college athletics, it is not just the destination, but also the journey that is the true reward. Athletes often set outcome oriented goals, but do not give enough attention to the most important part of effective goal-setting. That is, a detailed list of very specific actions to be taken or means to achieve the goal.

The D3 experience encourages goals that transcend athletics. These are often outcome related like “become an All-American by finishing in the top 35 at the national cross country meet,” “earn a 4.0 grade point average,” or “become closer with my friends and family.” These statements are the destination. The actions necessary to arrive at this destination provide the framework for the journey experienced by both coach and student-athlete. The key to arriving at the destination successfully is holding the student-athlete accountable for the actions listed on their goal-setting sheets.

We set goals in three areas: athletics, academics, and personal development, at the start of a season:

Athletics - When senior Steve Sanko was diagnosed with stress fractures in his foot in July, 2004, he and I quickly went about developing a list of actions necessary for him to still achieve his ultimate athletic goal: to be an All-American in cross country. He had to sleep with a boot cast on his foot every night and carefully follow all other rehabilitation procedures as outlined by his physical therapist. He ate a balanced diet and stayed hydrated at all times. He kept his life as simple as possible and slept 8-10 hours every night to best allow for his body to repair itself. In addition, he cross-trained with fierce determination, regularly running and swimming over 600 minutes per week for 8 weeks. In late September, as agreed by all parties involved, Steve ran on the ground for the first time since July. By late November 2004 Steve was healthy and fit and in position to achieve his ultimate goal as a collegiate athlete. He finished 27th of 215 runners at the D3 Championships and earned All-American honors-in no small part because he identified the specific actions necessary to arrive at his destination and followed through on those actions with extreme passion and precision.

Academics - My 2002 men’s cross country team consisted of a group committed to excellence in the classroom as well as their sport. Matt Miller is one member of that team who pushed himself to become one of the most learned persons at Etown. This summer, Matt will study in a prestigious political psychology symposium at Stanford. From there, he will go on to work on his doctorate at UC-San Diego. Matt, like many high school students, was not truly passionate about achieving straight A’s or becoming an intellectual. However, that team embraced one of our foundational beliefs: to strive whole-heartedly toward excellence in the classroom. He and his teammates took an active role in becoming the best students they could be. They kept regular study hours (20+ hours per week) in a specified location, got assistance with study skills, sought tutorial services, and surrounded themselves with students equally driven to succeed. The result was a group of 15 average-to-good student-athletes achieving the highest cumulative grade point average amongst all D3 men’s cross country teams. They had taken action to become outstanding scholars and some of the most successful undergraduates to come out of Etown in recent memory.

Personal Development - Etown’s motto is “Educate for Service” and part of my responsibility as a coach is to teach young student-athletes valuable life skills through sport. Many aim to become better at communication. One way we take action upon this outcome goal is forming “Buddy Groups” within the track & field teams. The 80 people on the two teams are divided into smaller groups of 5-8 and assigned a “Buddy Group Leader.” The group dynamics of each “Buddy Group” are important as great care is taken to mix extroverts and introverts, men and women, throwers and distance runners, etc. The group is responsible for sharing goals before and after each competition, arranging social and service activities, and getting to know and care about other members of the larger group they ordinarily would not associate with. The end result is a dynamic and spirited team working together to achieve similar goals.

D3 allows student-athletes, coaches, and teams to work together toward goals on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. When setting goals, student-athletes should be encouraged to dream, but also be held accountable by listing actions to be taken to achieve those goals. With regular communication about staying on task with those actions, a student-athlete’s ultimate potential is within their grasp! Jump for joy when you arrive at your destination and remember to embrace the journey along the way!

Recruiting

By: David Wright, Director of Athletics Gettysburg College

Question: What questions should I ask coaches and current student-athletes during my visit?

Answer: When speaking with coaches, a prospective student-athlete should ask what the expectations are for the athletes in the program. Try to get an understanding about commitment and transitioning from high school to college. What is the try-out process? How many current athletes are there from each class? What does the average week in the life of the student-athlete consist of? It is also important to learn if the sport has a non-traditional (off-season) segment, what practice commitments there may be and the coach’s overall philosophy. Likewise a prospect should inquire about strength and conditioning requirements before, during and after the season. Academic support services offered by the institution should not be overlooked. Other questions regarding coach’s longevity, facilities and institutional support are pertinent as well.

Admissions

By: Dan Preston, Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Financial Aid, Linfield College

Question: Should I send my sports resume to the admissions office? Do they need my stats and tapes?

Answer: Colleges and universities at the DIII level make significant efforts to recruit the best student-athletes they can find. But, does it help the admission office to have the stats about a student-athlete? Height, weight, speed, leaping ability, and performance statistics are all important factors that a coach will use during evaluations, but will likely be superfluous to the admission decision. Most admission offices do not evaluate athletic ability; they rely on coaches to rank athletes for the admission process. This holds true only if the admission process at that school factors athletic ability into the admission equation. The best steps you as a student-athlete can take are to:

· Prepare a sports resume in case one is requested;
· Complete the application for admission on the forms provided by the college and provide information about all extra-curricular activities in which you participate, including athletics;
· Ask the admission office if they factor in athletic participation and ability into the admission decision;
· Ask the college coach what information that coach would like from you (highlight tapes if available, statistics, and high school coach evaluations are common requests) as he does his evaluation;
· Ask the college coach if he will be communicating with the admission office about your application, if the admission office factors in athletic participation and ability;
· Try to visit the campus so that both admission office and athletic department personnel can meet you in person.

Remember that at the DIII level coaches are prohibited from evaluating your ability during the recruiting process (unless observing you at a high school competition), and that all factors related to athletic ability and participation are removed from the process when financial aid is determined.

Amanda Berner
Wartburg College
Basketball
First Team All-Conference

After being encouraged by friends to play basketball as a tall middle-schooler, Amanda Berner has since progressed into a top-notch collegiate basketball player, team leader, and student-athlete, now playing as a senior at Wartburg College (IA). Though she wasn’t initially thrilled about playing the sport back then, the experiences she gained through her combined athletic and academic endeavors have been influential and continue to guide her as she prepares for the next stage of her life.

“Coming out of high school, I liked the pre-med and biology programs at Wartburg,” Berner remarked. “I liked the proximity of Wartburg to my home [about two hours away], and I was happy that I could play basketball at this level without it being my whole life.”

Once enrolled at Wartburg, Berner realized that her collegiate responsibilities were much more rigorous than those she had in high school.

“Basketball demanded much more of my time,” Berner stated. “I did realize, though, that academics came first. It wasn’t as much an issue of finding time for my studies as maximizing the time I did have. I realized the road trips for basketball were good times for this.”

Berner is now in unique position as she is the only upperclassmen on the Knights. Thinking back to the beginning of the season, Berner spoke of what she tried to convey to the younger players.

“I wanted to help them learn the ropes of collegiate athletics, much like I had to. I try to keep everyone going on the same page, while leading by example,” Berner reflected. “I have also learned that I can trust them to play well and carry the team, even if I don’t have my best performance.”

As a second term senior in college, Berner is obviously thinking about the future. She will graduate with a Biology degree, and is recently engaged. After graduation, Berner plans to return to her hometown for a year to work, spend time with her family, and attend nursing school, but is convinced that her D3 experience has prepared her well for what is to come.

“Athletics is so valuable in life. Especially at D3, you learn time management and how to stay focused. I think D3 is better because you can do it all if you try.”

Ken Carruthers
Benedictine University (IL) (’76)
Area VP, CorSolutions, Inc.
Former NFL Free Agent Signee

Over thirty years have passed since Ken Carruthers was a high school junior unsure of what path he would take for college. As a highly touted three sport high school athlete from just outside Chicago, Carruthers got the attention of many colleges at all levels. But it was a small Catholic college that won out in the end.

“Benedictine University [Illinois Benedictine College at that time], was the only school I visited, and it was close to home. The financial aid I received made the school affordable, and I was impressed when I met [football coach] Tom Beck [now a member of the College Coaches Hall of Fame],” Ken reflects. “I was also interested in Benedictine as a place I could play right away. In 1972, freshman weren’t getting playing time at D1 schools.”

In reflection, Carruthers attributes his achievements on and off the playing field to the experience he knew he could have only had as a student-athlete at Benedictine University. Benedictine offered strong academics, the chance to play multiple sports, and a school close to home, a necessity after his father passed away his senior year.

Carruthers wasted no time becoming active on campus and in the baseball and football programs.

“I was told that I could play as many sports as I wished. I had to manage my time, but since it was my time and my experience, I could do with it what I wanted,” Carruthers recalls. “In addition to the two sports, I was involved in the Black Student Association, a social group on campus through which I forged some incredible friendships. I was also active in the student government.”

Finishing college as a two-time football All-American with a degree in Sociology and minors in American Philosophy and Secondary Education, Carruthers was prepared for a teaching and coaching career, but first felt he should pursue his dream of professional athletics. Ken played semi-pro baseball and football, and was signed twice as a free agent in the NFL.

Carruthers now finds himself as an Area Vice President in sales for CorSoultions, Inc. in Chicago, a nationally recognized Health Intelligence Company. Carruthers attributes the success he has had for 21 years in the health care industry, as well as the experiences he had professionally with sports, to what was provided to him by the D3 experience.

“I have no idea where I would be today if it weren’t for my collegiate experience,” Carruthers emphasizes. “The D3 experience that I was afforded at Benedictine is and will continue to be priceless to me personally, spiritually and professionally.”