Scholar-Baller Huskies Balance Education, Basketball

Six Huskies earn academic honors for maintaining a 3.0+ GPA

March 7, 2011

ByKyleMacDonaldGoHuskies.comCorrespondent

SEATTLE‐Asasenior,SarahMortonhaslearnedtheinsandoutsofbeingastudentathlete.Shehasfoundawaytomanagehertime,identifyherprioritiesandgeteverythingdone.

Andshe'soneoffiveWashingtonwomen'sbasketballplayerswhohavebeengiventhetitleofScholarBallerforthe2010fallquarter,joiningMarjorieHeard,JenevaAnderson,KristiKingma,KassiaFortierandMercedesWetmore.Allsixoftheseexceptionalstudent‐athletesachievedaminimumgradepointaverageof3.0duringfallquarter.Additionally,theyallmaintaincumulativeGPAsofovera3.0.

ScholarBallerisanationalprogramaimedatbringingeducationalprogrammingandrecognitiontohighschoolandcollegiateathletes,whoexcelbothacademicallyandathletically.

Thestudent‐athleteshavebeenabletopowerthroughthechallengesthatcomefrombeingacollegiateathlete.Thesespecificathletescreditmuchoftheirsuccesstotheirtimemanagementskills.

"It'stoughtotrytobalanceyourtimebutaslongasyouhaveitinyourmindthatyouhavetogetthingsdonebeforeyouhangoutwithfriendsorplayguitarorthingslikethat,"saidMorton,aseniorsociologyandcommunicationsmajor."Aslongasyouhavethatfigureoutyou'llbeallright,

"BecauseI'vedoingthisforfouryears,timemanagementisdefinitelysomethingI'velearnedandpickeduponprettyeasily."

Mostwouldthinkthattheextratimeandcommitmenttobasketballwouldhinderone'sstudyhabits.However,Andersonseestheextraobligationasapositive,somethingthatmakesherfocusevenmore."Ilikehowstructuredmylifeisbecauseifit'snotasstructuredI'mfree‐willedandIlosetrackofeverythingsoIreallyappreciatehavingbasketballasapartofit,"shesaid.Alongwiththetimemanagementchallengesthatcomewithbeingastudentathlete,astheplayersalsoneedtoplaneverythingaroundtheirbasketballscheduleduringtheseason.Forexample,theteamiscurrentlyonatriptosouthernCaliforniathatspansclosetotwoweeksincludinggamesagainstUCLAandUSC,followedbythePac‐10Tournament.Whentripsliketheseoccur,theplayersmustplaninadvancetomakeschoolworkfit.

"We'regoingtobegonefor10or12days,soit'skeepingintouchwiththoseinclass,andkeepinguponthenotes,"Heardsaid."It'shardtokeeparelationshipwithyourprofessororTAbutIthinkyoushoulddoitbecausethey'remoreflexiblewhenyou'regone."Forthosethatsuccessfullyacceptthechallengeofbeingastudentathlete,theyusetheirextraavailableresources.Ontopofbeingabletoregisterforclassesearly,theyareofferedtutoringandadditionaladvising.Theathleticdepartmentprovidesacademicassistancesignificantlywhenathletesareinneedofhelp."Ifweeverarestrugglingwithaclass,wecantalkwithourcoachesandtheycanhelpusfindatutororwecangostraighttotheathleticdepartment,"Mortonsaid,"andtheyhavehelpedmeoutinanythingIneed;theyalwayshaveanswers."Andersonnotedtheimportanceofacknowledgingwhenyouneedhelp,insteadofgoingthroughunnecessarystrugglesonyourown."SometimesI'mtoofilledwithpride,andwanttosaythatIdon'tneedhelpbutIreallydo,"theSpokanenativesaid."ItalktomyprofessorandTAsallthetime,lettingthemknowIneedhelpdoingthisbecauseIhavealotofstuffonmyplate."Thesefivescholar‐ballershavefollowedtherightpath,andembodywhatitmeanstobeastudent‐athleteattheUniversityofWashington.

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