MEDIA RELEASE
CSUN Athletics Recognized for Helping Former Athletes Graduate,
Providing Public Service to the Community
(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., March 4, 2008) — Many student-athletes lose their scholarships, when they can no longer compete. Thay’s not the policy at Cal State Northridge.
The university continues to provide tuition assistance to former athletes who either completed their eligibility or left school before graduating. Because of that support, CSUN recently made the honor roll of the National Consortium for Athletics and Sports, in the category: degree completion.
The consortium, which concentrates on the "student" in student athlete, annually recognizes the top 20 percent of colleges that either keep former athletes on scholarship after they have exhausted their eligibility, or allow those who left before earning a degree and can no longer compete at the collegiate level to finish school. While on campus, the former athletes also are asked to mentor young people and participate in community-service programs.
Northridge is one of 224 universities and colleges that belong to the consortium. Member schools agree to provide tuition for former student athletes who did not earn a degree while competing either in revenue-producing sports or those that generated no income for the university. CSUN, which tied for 23rd place on the honor roll, had 15 former student-athletes on scholarship during the 2006-2007 year.
The university was recognized at the consortium’s annual conference for providing former athletes with tuition assistance, and for the athletic department’s service to the community.
Community service is a university-wide tradition at CSUN that includes the athletics department, which has one of the broadest NCAA Division I sports programs among comparable universities. Northridge fields 18 men and women's teams involving some 400 student-athletes. Men’s sports include: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, track and field and volleyball. Women’s sports include: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball and water polo.
There are plenty of opportunities for players and youngsters to interact. Matador Athletics hosts youth groups at men and women’’s soccer games, men and women’s volleyball games and men and women’s basketball games. Youngsters who wear their soccer jersey also get in free to home games. And, on "Little League Sundays," children who wear their uniform get in free to baseball games.
Players also meet with youth groups, tell them about life as a student-athlete at CSUN and expose them to college. During sports clinics, players also help youngsters improve their skills. Many student-athletes find time to volunteer during their season despite schedules crowded with games, practices, classes and homework. Some participate in reading programs at local elementary schools.
Numerous community-service activities are organized by the university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Travis Bluemling, a senior on the nationally-ranked Matador men’s volleyball team, is the president.
"Being president of SAAC has allowed me to get other student-athletes involved in community work," Bluemling said. "By helping the community, I’ve seen the community in turn support the university even more than in the past. That’s very special. Helping other people has definitely given me other options about what I want do to in life."
Women’s basketball senior Katie Holloway is another active member of the SAAC.
"Every holiday season, SAAC participates in Adopt-A-Family, providing a great holiday season for needy families," Holloway said. Several months ago, she and other student-athletes raised $1,100 for a family of six who had been referred by M. E. N. D. (Meeting Every Need with Dignity) a social service agency in the San Fernando Valley.
"We also work with the Valley Trauma Center in ‘The Men’s March: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,’ an event to raise awareness about sexual abuse and rape," Holloway said. As part of the march, men wear ladies’ high heels as they parade near the Sherman Oaks Galleria. CSUN’s Valley Trauma Center, a chartered agency for the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, sponsors the annual event, which will be held on April 26 this year.
"Finally, all the Big West Conference schools are participating in a coin drive to raise money for their specific charity," according to Holloway. "CSUN’s charity is the Children’s Hunger Fund. The school that raises the most money will also get half of every other school’s donation to give to their charity."
Through her work in the community, Holloway understands the necessity and importance of giving back.
"I believe the community is (made up of) all the people you are surrounded by," she explained. "If you don’t give back to the community when they need help, whom are you going to turn to when the roles are reversed?"
Matador Athletics also has honored an injured Iraqi War veteran though the Walking Wounded Program and hosted Armed Services Nights, which provide free admission to servicemen and servicewomen.