Standing Out As Student-Athletes
College sports are huge! And at no time throughout the year is that as evident as during March Madness. There are articles written and statistics generated about the impact the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has on worker productivity. One article I read said the tournament will cost U.S. employers $1.2 billion in lost productivity. Another said the tournament actually helps boost morale among the reported 57 percent of employees that participate in office pools. There’s even software that will automate the tournament pools for you. Who knew? I use these as examples not to shine a light on betting on college sports but rather to illustrate the excitement that it generates.
College sports are truly an American pastime. As a result, the time and effort that student-athletes put into their respective sports requires serious dedication. Think of the juggling that is required of students who do not even play a sport but have a full course load. It’s not easy.
So I’m always amazed by those student-athletes who hold it all together and excel academically and athletically.
You’ll read about two such students — junior DeCarol Davis and senior Isaac Matthews — who were chosen among approximately 600 students as our 2007 Female and Male Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars of the Year, respectively.
In the article “In a League of Her Own,” Diverse correspondent Saira Moini profiles Davis, who plays basketball at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and maintains a cumulative 3.95 GPA in electrical engineering.
“They [parents] allowed me the freedom to develop my own thoughts, yet made it clear that succeeding in school was my ‘job.’ So I’ve always felt the need to prove myself,” Davis says.
