by John Sudsbury (this story originally appeared in the summer issue of Cal Sports Quarterly)
Albert Einstein once said that the only source of knowledge is experience. The
Athletic Study Center at the University of California follows that theory closely,
as four of its academic advisors are former Cal student-athletes. When needing assistance on negotiating the labyrinth that the University can become, the Golden Bears have the luxury to draw on the wisdom of each one of these advisors.
Located in the Cesar Chavez Center at the heart of the Berkeley campus, Cal's Athletic
Study Center consists of a wide-range of study aids, but a key piece of this center is the
former student-athletes on staff.
"Former student-athletes, and in particular former Cal student-athletes, provide excellent
mentors for current student-athletes because they understand the Berkeley way," said
Derek Van Rheenen, the Director of the Athletic Study Center and a former Golden Bear
soccer standout himself. "They can really help young student-athletes navigate the university
culture and they understand the expectations of both the classroom, as well as the
playing field at an elite place like Berkeley."
The advisors are available to assist Cal student-athletes with academic advice, including
planning course-loads, assisting with study skills development and implementing graduation
strategies. However, with their experiences as student-athletes themselves, they can
also assist with athletic issues, including managing practice times, dealing with the pressures
of being a Division I athlete and even understanding personalities of coaches.
"We try to do everything we can to help the students in their time here at Cal," said
Chris Lane, who played water polo for the Bears from 1999-2000 and has both her bachelor's
and master's degrees from Cal. "That includes planning courses from semester to
semester, mediating between the athletes and coaches and professors; making sure they're
fulfilling requirements, making sure they're staying on track to graduate and eligible to
compete, and sometimes, just being a confidante and a resource for them to talk about any
sort of issue."
"For me, on top of all [the academic basics], I'm a mom away from home, a big sister, a
diary, a confidante, a friend," field hockey player turned advisor Courtney Dolder said. "We
spend a lot of time talking about personal things, because those have a big impact on how they do academically and athletically. By seeing the big picture, it helps me help them."
The difficulty of being a student at the top public university in the nation, as well as being an athlete at a school which is battling for the Directors' Cup as the top athletic program in the country, can be overwhelming at times.
"I don't want to take anything away from the student that has a family or a full-time job, every student has their own story and their own obligations," said Cassidy Raher, a basketball player from 1997-2000 and a current advisor. "But student-athletes have so many obligations - practice, conditioning, working out, studying, being on top of their academics and making sure they're
making progress towards their degree. Then there is the pressure to perform, sometimes before thousands of people. It can be intimidating."
The primary goal of the Athletic Study Center is to keep student-athletes focused and on track, while assisting them with dealing with the various pressures. Using their own life experiences, the academic advisors can often see potential roadblocks even before they happen.
"We try to be very hands-on as advisors,"
said Stephen Johnson, another of Cal's advisors
and a former Cal basketball player.
"We are more proactive, if we see somewhere
that's slipping, then we are proactive
in reaching out and saying you need to do
x, y and z to get back on the ball. I definitely
would have benefited from that."
Johnson's own personal story may resonate
best to the current Golden Bears. A
highly-touted 6-9, 210-pound forward from
Baltimore who arrived at Cal in 1991, Johnson
was a key player for the 1992-93 squad
that advanced to the Sweet 16. However,
he departed Berkeley to play professionally
overseas without earning his degree.
"I've been in their shoes, I know how it
feels. I know the battle they have balancing
athletics and academics," Johnson said. "I
can relate to them. A lot of student-athletes
hit a wall and think they won't make it. I
just share my experiences and assure them
they will make it. I also have an advantage
with some of the student-athletes because I
know what it is to be a bad student."
After a 10-year professional career in Europe,
Johnson felt a "monkey on his back."
He knew he needed a college degree, but
more importantly, he wanted the respect
that a degree would impart on him. Upon
retiring, he made the return to Berkeley,
logged a 3.7 GPA and earned his bachelor's
degree in May; he is now pursuing his master's
degree.
"I know how it is when you are a poor
student and what they can expect, what
situations they will put themselves in," he
said. "But now I know what it takes to be
a good student. I use both of those experiences
to help my students. And I tell them
to do what you have to do now, because
you don't want to have to come back five,
six, seven years down the road."
Cal's student-athletes are among the best
in the nation, if not the world. With national
champions, Olympians and future professional
athletes on campus, it is sometimes
difficult for other students to identify with
them. And vice versa. How can someone
truly understand the plight of a student-athlete
if they have never attempted the same
juggling act of academics and athletics?
"I think (having played a sport here)
gives me a lot of credibility," Lane said.
"Our student-athletes know that I had to go
through what they're going through. There
is a bond between athletes, so it gives me
an automatic connection with whoever
walks through my door."
"More than anything, having been a student-
athlete gives me insight," said Dolder,
who was a member of the field hockey team
from 1993-94 and later served as the football
team manager. "I've been there. Being
away from home for the first time, balancing
the rigors of Division I athletics with
the education at the top public university.
I have a good perspective on how to deal
with coaches, parents, social life, many of
the things that affect students."
In addition to being able to identify
with the current
crop of
student-athletes,
Dolder,
Lane, Johnson
and Raher
also understand
the ins and
outs of Cal. They
are familiar with
many of the classes and
professors, as well as the
coaches and administrators within
the Athletic Department.
"Being an alum and a former student-athlete,
I have a lot of pride being on campus
and helping the university that helped me
so much," said Raher, who worked for three
years as an academic advisor at USC before
returning to Cal. "That's a key component in
my efforts every day. I want to make sure I'm
giving back to the university and the Athletic
Department that gave me so much."
Cal has continued to build on its successes
in the athletic arena in recent years, but
through that increased success, the school
and Athletic Department have never lost
focus on the "student" side of student-athlete.
The academic advisors in the Athletic
Study Center are not just success stories
for Cal athletics, they are using their own
experiences to help foster future success
stories for the Golden Bears.
