Humble Focus Toward Significant Impact
November 06, 2014 11:06 AM | General
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| Rourke |
Mental toughness is imperative for student-athletes inundated with criticisms of their belonging on college campuses. Recently, an academic fraud investigation at North Carolina has fueled critics who question the motives of high-profile athletic departments. Amid the hoopla, I remain surrounded by impressive student-athletes and athletic department staff humbly focused on having a significant impact.
Fierce competitors, driven toward excellence in all facets of life, inhabit athletic departments nationwide. Humble student-athlete leaders regularly sacrifice for their universities by demonstrating the results attained by consistent preparation and relentless hard work in front of fans and passionate alumni. The experiences student-athletes absorb prepare them for critical roles in society demanding the same mental toughness required of them today.
Athletic participation teaches life lessons. Our role as educators is to expose student-athletes to opportunities - opportunities to succeed and fail, listen and speak, be mentored and mentor others. The athletic personnel (administrators, coaches, advisors, doctors, trainers, etc.) I have the privilege of interacting with our tremendous mentors. They are professionals who genuinely care about student-athlete development and are invested in the preparation of society’s future.
Criticisms of athletics on college campuses should make departments stronger. Boasting about academic accomplishments of student-athletes and athletic departments (Graduation Success Rate, team grade point averages, Academic All-BIG 12, and Academic All-Americans) may be construed as defense mechanisms in response to attacks on student-athlete and athletic department credibility. However, genuine success stories involving student-athletes occur every day within athletic departments. These stories rarely make the news because poised competitors aren’t driven by public recognition. Humble, focused student-athletes simply continue their mission and work toward the next personal or team challenge.
It’s time universities and athletic departments fight back against the spoilers who dwell on mistakes. It’s time news agencies acknowledge publicly the impressive mentors (administrators, coaches, advisors, doctors, trainers, etc.) hired and trained to develop society’s future. My hope is one day a West Virginia student-athlete is an elementary or high school teacher to my son. Furthermore, I hope my son has an athletic academic advisor and coach just like those I’ve worked with and know across the country.
To the West Virginia University student-athlete: stay humble, remain focused, and continue to have a significant impact on our University, athletic department and WVU community!
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