The 2008 Alabama Gymnastics Guide Section II
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The 2008 Alabama Gymnastics Guide Section II Classroom Success 20-21 Fan Support 26-27 Marc Cohen and Scott Mackall 38-39 Fern Hampton and CASS 21 Tide Team Building 28-29 NCAA Championship Anniversary 40-41 Bryant Academic Center 22 Defending NCAA Champions 30-31 Keeping up with the Tide 42-43 Postgraduate Scholarships 23 Community Involvement 32-35 Facilities 44-45 Academic Honors 24-25 The Power of Pink 36-37 The Medalist Club 46-47 A Standard of Classroom Excellence Not all accolades gathered by Alabama gymnasts come during competi- Alabama has produced 10 NCAA and seven Southeastern Conference tion when the bright lights are focused on them. In fact, the accomplishments Scholarship recipients since 1983. Three Alabama gymnasts have been the Crimson Tide coaching staff are most proud of come in the classrooms named the SEC’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, an honor bestowed on the and study sessions. conference’s top senior student-athlete, regardless of sport. The award car- The Tide’s tremendous success is in direct correlation to the level of ries with it the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship, a $10,000 grant that can importance the coaching staff puts on academics. Priority one at Alabama is be applied to the graduate program of the recipient’s choice. Tide gymnasts a great education that will catapult the Tide gymnasts into exciting futures. have placed their names on national honor societies more than 125 times “From the day we begin recruiting an athlete to the day they walk across over the past 25 years, including three with membership in Phi Beta Kappa. the stage at graduation, we stress academics as the most important aspect of And while the Crimson Tide has built a sparkling reputation in the aca- their experience here at Alabama,” coach Sarah Patterson said. “I want our demic arena, that reputation is not just a case of letting a squad of naturally ladies to win national championships and I want them to break records, but academically talented athletes loose in the classroom. first and foremost I want them to do the best they can in the classroom.” “Many of our athletes are what I would consider average college students, The emphasis the Pattersons put on academics have paid huge dividends. and yet they continue to perform at above-average levels, and that is what I am most proud of,” Sarah Patterson said. “There’s a misconception, I think, that all these young ladies have a great deal of natural ability. They’re all bright young women, but I attribute our success to the fact that they come in Academic Excellence here knowing that school comes first. They know we feel that way, and they Always a source of pride, Alabama gymnastics’ academic excellence has hit take the support system, which is second to none, and they surround them- an impressive stride over the past several years providing some truly awe selves with it and work within that system. That’s why we do so well. I think inspiring results. if the same student came in here and worked the same amount of time, but • Alabama had the highest team grade point average of any team in the didn’t use the support system, I don’t think their grades would be as good.” Southeastern Conference and the third highest of the teams that made it to the Some of Alabama’s greatest success stories involve student-athletes that NCAA Championships last season. came in as at-risk students. Through a combination of their own hard work, • Alabama gymnasts have earned 10 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, twice as unflagging support from the coaching staff and the resources Alabama put many as any other gymnastics program in the nation. at their disposal, they were able to graduate. They then went on to careers • Alabama has earned 115 Scholastic All-American honors since the award’s that might not have been possible without the education they received at the inception in 1991. The Tide has averaged nine Scholastic All-American per year Capstone. over the past seven seasons. Once a prospective student-athlete signs, it is up to her how successful she • A Crimson Tide best 13 gymnasts earned Scholastic All-American honors dur- is academically. But because of Alabama’s Center of Athletic Student Services ing the 2002 NCAA Championship season. and the commitment of its coaches, every opportunity for success is there for • Alabama has earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors 171 times since the award was first given out in 1984. That total includes an average of 10 the taking. honors per year since 2000. During the first semester, freshmen are required to attend a nightly study • The Tide’s 15 Academic All-SEC honorees in 2002 stands as a league record for hall. After that, attendance is based on the individual’s GPA and study needs. a single year. The Tide had nine honorees last season. Every member of the gymnastics team utilizes the study hall and tutorial staff • Over the past decade, Alabama has been a fixture at the top nationally among throughout their career. all gymnastics programs in team grade point average. On its way to its fourth Between the Pattersons, CASS and individual initiative of the student- NCAA title in 2002, the Tide checked in at No. 3 with a 3.6 GPA. athletes, the gymnastics program is assured of capturing more perfect 10s in the gym and perfect 4.0s in the classroom. Left: Kassi Price earned a 4.0 grade point average for the fall, spring and summer semesters of her freshman year, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the highest team GPA of any team in the Southeastern Conference yet again. Did You 20 Know? Alabama posted the highest team grade point average of any team in the Southeastern Conference last season. Lending A Hand Assistant Director of the Center for Athletic Student Services One service offered by the Center of Athletic Student Services many student-athletes find invaluable is the personal monitor. If it appears Fern Hampton a student-athlete may struggle early Fern Hampton is in her seventh year as an academ- CASS is headed by Assistant Athletics Director for in their academic career, CASS will ic advisor with the Center of Athletic Student Services Student Services Jon Dever. In addition to Hampton, assign a personal monitor to help (CASS) and her fourth working with the gymnastics Dever is assisted by Heather Anders, Tom Buttram, make the student-athlete’s transition program. Barbara DeLaire, Brenda Elliott, Jacob Guess, Erin to college easier. The personal moni- “Fern is an absolute dream to work with,” Sarah Mishoe, Lisa Patrick and tor will help with study, note taking Patterson said. “She works very hard and is dedicated Lance Walker. Joining this group are five interns and and organizational skills. A personal to making sure that our ladies have everything they 65 part-time tutors. The entire operation is housed in monitor stays with a student-athlete need to be successful in the classroom.” the newly renovated Bryant Hall Academic Center, as long as the student-athlete or the Hampton’s job includes helping the athletes under which finished construction in spring of 2005. team’s academic advisor feels it is her guidance map out their academic plan, from pick- The CASS staff works as a liaison between the necessary in order for that student- ing a major and registering for classes to requesting a Athletic Department, undergraduate divisions, and the athlete to be successful in the class- personal monitor and scheduling a tutor. Hampton, administrative offices of the university. The staff assists room. in her 17th year overall with the University, worked in with class-scheduling and registration, makes sure all All-American Kim Bonaventura student recruitment through the undergraduate admis- athletes are maintaining satisfactory progress toward can attest to the benefits of the sions office before joining the athletics department. their degrees, monitors academic eligibility and pro- personal monitor program. When “I really enjoy working with gymnastics,” Hampton vides career counseling. The advisors also secure tutors she joined the Tide for the 1994 said. “They are very dedicated young women who and schedule study sessions. season, Bonaventura had not been work very hard to make sure they are getting the most Hampton’s relationship with a student-athlete in a structured classroom environ- out of their academic opportunities.” starts on their recruiting trip. She sets up individual ment in several years, having been For Alabama gymnasts, the impetus to succeed aca- appointments within the department of the recruit’s home schooled through high school. demically is all around them. The coaching staff makes area of study and then the recruit is given a tour of Upon her arrival on campus she it clear from day one that their very best is expected in campus and learns about the services provided by was assigned a personal monitor. the classroom while their teammates encourage them CASS. From that point on, she works with the athletes Though the going was often hard, to excel both through word and deed. And while the until the day they graduate Bonaventura learned the ropes and bar is set high by the coaches and athletes themselves, One of the big things that makes the Winnipeg, by working steadily throughout Hampton is there to add her encouragement and pro- Manitoba native’s job easier, is the commitment the her career with her monitor, Darby vide the tools for that success. coaching staff has to the education process. Kennedy, she finished work on her “There are tremendous resources here at Alabama “One of the things that has impressed me the most degree and graduated in December and we make sure that the student-athletes have full is Sarah’s total accessibility for any questions on aca- 1997 with a degree in Human access to them, that they have everything they need to demic issues,” Hampton said.