Volleyball Thrives on Consistent Academic Excellence
1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? Alabama volleyball head coach Judy Green has instilled in her athletes discipline, hard work and consistency for each of the last 11 years at the Capstone. However, one of the most important qualities she instills in her players can't be seen on game day.
Since she arrived at the Capstone in 1996, Coach Green has set a bar of academic achievement that rivals any team in the nation. For the past 11 seasons, Green has consistently had teams that not only are serious athletes, but also are serious students.
What is Coach Green's secret? Part of the answer is in the talent she recruits, while another is the importance her and her staff place on academics.
"Our coaching staff and the university expect us to give 100 percent in order to represent the University, whether it is in the practice gym or in the classroom," said sophomore Calli Johnson. "Our academic success enables us to reach our goals after we finish at Alabama because it teaches us time management and to focus in our priorities."
During her tenure, Green's teams have earned a 3.0 or above GPA in 22 out of 23 semesters, including a 3.189 for the 2007 season. Coach Green has also had three athletes in recent years graduate in less than four years.
Adding to the list of academic accomplishments, Alabama has had at least one player on the SEC Academic Honor Roll since 1996 and no less than six players in the last five years.
On a national level, Coach Green's 2000-01 squad was honored with the AVCA/Molten Team Academic Award, given to the collegiate team with the highest cumulative GPA for the entire year. The award-winning team earned a 3.61 GPA to become the squad with the highest GPA spanning three divisions.
"Having the opportunity to be an athlete at this university opens doors that other students don't have," said freshman Lauren Martin. "The coaches expect us to work as hard in the classroom as we do in the gym and utilize our resources. We have great people working with us and pushing us to become great students and that helps a lot."
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