Student-Athlete Services Lynn University’s student-athletes had many opportunities to find success off the courts and fields this past academic year and as usual took full advantage of making the most of their resources. The Fighting Knights’ Life Skills Program had another successful year while student-athletes had the resources to take courses in personal development, career development, leadership and community awareness. In these workshop-based classes, students learned how to be successful during their careers at Lynn University, in the community and in pursuing a career outside of athletics. In the first-year personal development and leadership course, new student-athletes had a head coach or an athletic administrator as a guest speaker each week as all 10 head coaches and seven different administrators assisted in making the course a memorable experience. Upperclassmen also had the opportunity of becoming Student-Athlete Mentors for the fifth consecutive year through the Life Skills programming and co-teach workshops for the student-athletes in the one-credit courses. During the 2011-12 academic year, seniors Kara Bailey (volleyball), Marquis Lee (women’s basketball), and Michael Woo (men’s basketball) served as mentors, teaching sections of the Personal Development course in time management, conflict management, leadership and commitment. The volleyball team won its third straight Knights Cup and $1,000 to use towards any program enhancements. Studentathletes competed on behalf of their teams and earned points in the following categories that align with the Life Skills Program: Academic Excellence, Athletic Excellence, Personal Development, Career Development, and Community Service. The Knights Cup competition encourages the achievement of academic excellence, promotes personalized choices for supplementing the student-athlete’s educational background, provides opportunities for personal development, involves the student-athlete as a role-model/leader, and supports the team concept and encourages student-athletes to support fellow student-athletes. Behind the volleyball team, men’s soccer and women’s golf finished in the top three. Serving the South Florida area in many different capacities, Lynn’s student-athletes participated in an all-time high 1,854 hours of community service. They strengthened relationships with Habitat for Humanity, Stratford Court Retirement Home, Community Blood Center of South Florida and the American Cancer Society, while continuing to help other established organizations. (See chart) The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee continued to join forces with the Any Solder Inc. campaign to collect and send items to United States Military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan for the fourth straight year. US Army, Marine, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force members post “wish lists” on the AnySoldier.com website and SAAC chose Florida-based troops once a month to send items to. In total, student-athletes sent 3,491 items to seven different troops at war. SAAC’s three-year total of items shipped has now been raised to 15,721. For the student-athletes efforts, LU finished second in the Collection Donation Award sponsored by the Sunshine State Conference. Lynn completed granting its fourth “wish” through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. The Fighting Knights conducted a variety of fundraisers to raise $2,500; the amount needed to be a partner wishmaker with the foundation. The men’s and women’s golf team led the fundraising efforts earning over $1,500 at their charity golf tournament at Boca Delray Country Club. Building upon a relationship that started by hosting a single BINGO Night four years ago, SAAC continued to visit Stratford Court Retirement Home on numerous occasions. The Fighting Knights hosted BINGO at least twice a month and organized the 4th Annual “Winter Wonderland Senior Prom” for the residents. The “Senior Prom” served as the marquee event as over 250 senior citizens attended the themed event in December. On campus, SAAC continued to help the student-athletes become more involved with the athletics administration. At the committee’s monthly meetings, the group selected head coaches and administrators to join them as part of the agenda’s “Coaches and Administrators Corner.” The group’s leaders took all their concerns and suggestions to an end-ofthe-year meeting with Lynn University’s President, Kevin Ross, in hopes of making positive changes on campus.
2011-12 Annual Report
21
Lynn University