Uniting the mind and body

Mens Corpusque. These Latin words, meaning mind and body, are located on UW-La Crosse's university seal. They are perfect in describing our institution, as UW-L has a strong tradition of success in both athletics and academics.

But it's important to remember that success doesn't necessarily come from one end of the spectrum or the other; many times it comes from both. Student-athletes have been proving this with their ability to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

During the 2009-10 academic year, student-athletes at UW-L achieved a slightly higher GPA than the overall student body.  Athletes earned a GPA of 3.185, while the general student population achieved a 3.178. UW-L student-athletes had the highest average GPA out of all student-athletes within the nine WIAC universities, and 395 UW-L student-athletes achieved a GPA higher than a 3.0.

These statistics shouldn't be surprising. You don't need to search very hard to find students who've made huge accomplishments in both their athletic and academic careers.

Take wrestler Dan Laurent for example. Laurent, who graduated last year, was a three-time NCAA Division III national heavyweight champion. But he didn't spend all his time on the mats. Laurent was also busy earning a 3.94 GPA with a double major in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology. His achievements earned him the NCAA Top VIII Award, which is only given to eight athletes out of all three divisions combined.

Recent graduate and UW-L swimmer Chelsea Hoff was named a finalist in the NCAA's Women Athlete of the Year Award this past fall. Hoff is an 18-time All-American in D-III swimming. She has earned seven individual All-American honors, including a second place finish in the 100 backstroke and fifth place finishes in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle at last year's national meet. Hoff did all this while earning a 4.0 GPA majoring in exercise sport-science fitness pre-physical therapy.

As a member of the women's track and field team, I can attest to the tremendous amount of time and effort it takes to succeed as a student-athlete. I've watched the hard work teammates have put onto the track and into the weight room, and I know they're putting just as much effort into the classroom.

 As Division III athletes, we're encouraged to put academics above everything else. We're not awarded scholarships to play a sport; we do it to be part of something bigger, to challenge ourselves and to test our limits, to reach potentials we didn't know we had. And we bring the same attitude to our academics.

Being involved in a sport has the same effect as any other extracurricular activity: it forces students to practice time management. During the week athletes spend several hours each day practicing and treating injuries, and most weekends are spent competing. So any time student- athletes aren't dedicating to their sports or other campus organizations is likely spent doing homework or studying.

UW-L athletic director Josh Whitman, who played football at the University of Illinois, said of his experience, "I felt like I was majoring in time management. It is challenging. There's always more to do on both ends, so you need to make sacrifices. For me, I wasn't able to spend much time socializing. I felt like I was always studying or practicing. But I liked the routine."

Time management is only one skill student-athletes brush up on during their involvement in athletics. "Athletes learn about themselves," Whitman said, "They learn perseverance, how to work with others, how to be a teammate and a leader—these are lessons they'll carry with them in whatever they do. It's hard to gain all these skills in one place the way you can in athletics."

Student-athletes are the thread stringing the mind and the body together. You should be proud to be part of a university that is high-achieving both academically and athletically; Whitman said this is one unique aspect that attracted him to UW-L. So next time you hear of successes student-athletes have accomplished within their sports, don't forget they're striving for the same success in the classroom.