Bell: Huskies Are Becoming Scholars As Well As Ballers This Spring

Sarkisian keys on academic success through Scholar-Baller program

ByGreggBell UWDirectorofWriterSEATTLE– March 31, 2011

WhentheHuskiesreportedforthefirstteammeetingtobeginspringpractice,theyweren'tgreetedbyX'sandO's.Theydidn'tgetavideorelivinglastseason'srompthroughNovemberandDecembertotheirfirstbowlappearanceineightyears.Instead,theysawcoacheswearinghatsandgearofthe"Scholar‐Baller."AndtheygotfiredupMondaywhenSteveSarkisianandhisstaffstartedaposition‐by‐positioncompetitiontoseewhichgroupgetsthehighestgrade‐pointaveragein2011."It'saverycoolprogram,"SarkisiansaidthisweekafterhisthirdspringpracticeatUWbegan."Ourguyswereexcitedaboutitwhenweintroducedittothem.Sowe'llseehowmany3.0sweget."Sarkisianisconsideringgivingplayerswhoachievea3.0thisquarteraScholar‐Ballerstickerwiththeprogram's"thinkingman"logotowearonthebacksoftheirgoldhelmetsduringtheseason.

Dr.KeithHarrison,aformerscholarathleteatWestTexasA&M,foundedtheScholar‐Ballerprogramwhiledoinghisdoctoraldissertationin1995,toaddresswhatheandhiscolleaguessawasamajordisconnectbetweentheeducational,athleticandentertainmentcommunitiesintheUnitedStates.Harrisondevelopedacurriculumthatstudiesastudentathlete'splaceinsocietyandthenstrivestobridgethatsocietalgapbetweenacademics,athleticsandentertainment."Iwantedtofindananswertothequestion,howdoweretainhigh‐profilestudentathletes?"Harrisonsaid.

Essentially,Scholar‐Ballerseekstomakestudyingcool‐ascoolasscoringa

touchdowninfrontof70,000cheeringfansonaSaturday.TheprogramisconductedwiththesupportoftheNCAAandgivescaps,athleticgear,uniformpatchesandhelmetstickerswiththethinking‐manlogoonthemasrewardsforplayersachievinga3.0grade‐pointaverage,orformarkedacademicimprovementduringaseason."Student‐athletesallgrewupseeingthemselvesas`ballers,'"saidKimDurand,UW'sassociateathleticdirectorforstudentdevelopmentandafriendofDr.Harrison'ssinceshemethimataconferenceinOrlando,Fla.,in1995."Thisprogramistoshowthattheacademicpartiscool,too."DurandgotWashingtoninvolvedin2005asoneoffourNCAAcharterschoolsintheScholar‐Ballerprogram,alongwithArizonaState,IllinoisStateandSoutheastMissouriState.TheHuskies'women'sbasketballteamhasadoptedtheprogramthelasttwoseasons,andthispastquarterhadsixplayersachievethegoal

ofa3.0orgreaterGPA.Sarkisianheardaboutwhatthehoopstersweredoing,theninvitedHarrisontotheUWfootballofficesthiswintertolearnmoreaboutScholar‐Baller."Itwasthefunniestthing:AfterIwastalkingforaboutfourorfiveminutes,hejustsays,`Stoprightthere.We'redoingit,'"Harrisonsaidinaphoneinterviewthisweek."Hesaid,`Thisisanotherwrench.'Hemeansit'sanothertooltovalidatetheU‐Dubfootballprogramacademically."SarkisianisjustaboutMr.Goodwrenchinthatregard,26monthsintohisHuskiestenure.

Thefootballteam'sGPAwentupforthefifthconsecutiveacademictermwith

UW'sjust‐completedwinterquarter.Theteam'slatestcumulativeGPAwas2.76,thehighestWashingtonhasonrecordforfootball.Thatdatestoatleast2005.ThecultureofacademicachievementhaschangedunderSarkisian,tothepointDurandhasnoticedtheplayers'dedicationtotheirstudiesrarelywanes‐‐duringtheseason,outofseason,whetherthecoachesarecheckinguponthemorareoffcampusrecruiting.That'sacredittoSarkisian,hisassistantsandDurand'sacademicsupportstaffofKiairaLadd,RodJones,LibertyPatos,InkAleaga,PamRobenolt,andLisaBruce.TheyhavecreatedanenvironmentperfectlysuitedfortheScholar‐Ballerprogram.Scholar‐Ballerhasabout50teamsfromaroundthecountrycurrentlyparticipatinginitsprogram,fromtheU.S.MilitaryAcademy'sbasketballandfootballteamsatWestPointtoButler'smen'sbasketballteamthatisinitssecondconsecutiveFinalFourthisweekend,Florida'schampionship‐contendingfootballteam,GramblingState'sfootballteamandGeorgiaTech'sfootballandbasketballsquads.

Harrison,theScholar‐Ballerfounder,hasaspecialconnectiontoUWthroughJohnnyNansen.TheHuskies'special‐teamsanddefensivelinecoachwasaformerstudentofHarrison'satWashingtonState.Harrison,whogothisdoctorateinhigherandpost‐secondaryeducationfromUSC,isalsofamiliarwithSarkisianandHuskiesdefensivecoordinatorNickHoltfromwhenthosetwocoacheswereontheTrojansstaffthroughthe2008season."That'swhythisprogramissohotwiththem,"Harrisonsaid."We'vehadotherschoolsdoit,butnotwithasmuchenthusiasmasSark'scoaches,Imustsay."Sarkisianchuckledbashfullyatthat."Wehaveafirmbeliefinallthreeaspectsofourguys'lives,"theHuskies'coachsaid."Obviouslythereisthefootballaspectofit.There'stheacademicaspectofit.Andthere'stheirpersonalandsocialworld."Ifwecancontinuetoenhancetheiracademicside,Ithinkallthreeareasgohandinhand.Whenlifeisgood‐whenweareplayinggoodfootball,we'regoingwellinschool,wearegettingthingsdoneinourpersonallives‐that'swhenourlifeasafootballteamisgood."SoifIcancontinuetomotivatethemtodowellintheclassroom,andthisisanotheruniquewaytodothat,wearegoingtocontinuetotrythingslikeScholar‐Baller."