April 4, 2006
ORLANDO - UCF's Academic Services for Student-Athletes (ASSA) recognizes National Student-Athlete Day when it hosts "A Day in the Life of UCF Student-Athletes" on Thursday. The event is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. in the new Wayne Densch Sports Center.
"UCF can take pride in the student-athletes on its campus," said Mark Gumble, Director of ASSA. "During the fall semester, 52% of UCF's student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or better, while participating in 36 community outreach programs throughout the Orlando area, and two teams won Conference USA divisional championships. Thursday's event is an opportunity to recognize these student-athletes for being role models on campus and throughout the community."
Designed to educate the university's faculty and staff about the life of a student-athlete, the program features several guest speakers. Golden Knights' head football coach George O'Leary opens the morning with comments about his team's academic program and recruiting philosophy.
Following O'Leary, a trio of student-athletes step to the podium. Sophomore Kendra Howell of the women's track and field team will speak about the role of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), while junior baseball player Matt Horwath and senior women's soccer player Courtney Baines will each address their experiences as a student-athletes.
The program closes with head women's basketball coach Gail Striegler as she talks about her commitment to the academic goals of her athletes.
National STUDENT-Athlete Day was created by the National Consortium for Academic and Sports 19 years ago to celebrate the outstanding achievements of student-athletes. Those who are honored across the nation have achieved excellence in academics and athletics, while having made significant contributions to the community. This year's celebration is particularly significant as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a co-sponsor of the event, recognizes its 100th year.