Week 3 - What qualities make up a well-rounded student-athlete? (in progress) 

A well rounded student-athlete fits the mold of the 3 Ds: discipline, determination, and drive.

• Discipline - This person values time. They don’t waste a minute of their day and prioritize using their time wisely. The key to this is managing what you do with the time you aren’t sleeping or going to school. A good student-athlete doesn’t make excuses when it comes to after-school programs and sports. I have found that the busiest people excel the most in the gym and classroom.  
• Determination - Once they set a goal, nothing or no one will stop a well-rounded student-athlete from crossing the finish line. Even if obstacles, barriers, or jealousy get in their way, this person goes over, around, or through them to reach their goal. They never complain because they know the obstacles will only make them better. 
• Drive - I’ve watched over three decades of people who step back and wonder why or how the best student-athletes continue to do what they do. In most cases, the program’s best student-athletes become captains.  As a coach, you know you can push the people who are driven because they understand you have to push yourself to achieve positive results. Even parents wonder why their child is so driven and committed, but later in life, the child and their parents thank the program for the experiences they were offered.

Week 2 - What connections have you made between the academic and athletic worlds (positive and negative)?

Over the past 35 years of the Bouncing Bulldogs, the program has performed, led workshops, and competed in many K-5, middle school, high school, and higher education environments. Because of the relationships that we have built with individuals and groups in these environments, I’ve been able to call on well-educated people, not only for the program to grow, but also for individual student-athletes to excel. I’ve been able to write recommendations for former jumpers to get internships, scholarships, and jobs, but this wouldn’t have been possible without these relationships I made through the sport of jump rope. I am overwhelmingly proud of these jumpers and grateful for such incredible relationships. Even athletes who didn’t finish the program reach out to me and, instead of dwelling on the past and the fact that they didn’t finish, I would rise above it (like our theme for this year says) and support their academic endeavors. 
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Overall, the biggest and most important connection I’ve made between the athletic and academic worlds is networking. When one involves themselves in both academics and athletics on a high level, they are able to build relationships with people and mentors who can guide them to further successes in life. My advice is to stay involved and take advantage of the resources provided by both your school and sports, always being cautious of biases and obstacles that may try to stand in the way of your aspirations.