WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.036 the year I got recruited, they had just won a national championship. So I 00:00:03.069 --> 00:00:07.846 was on cloud nine like mom dad I'm going to play for a big time schools 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:12.117 bailey witness plays softball for Arizona State University. The thing that 00:00:12.150 --> 00:00:14.976 gets me about softball, it keeps me coming back for more is that it's a 00:00:15.009 --> 00:00:20.447 thinking game bailey and her teammates know the meaning of hard work. The 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:23.646 ladies make sure they're prepared to take on their opponents by hitting 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:27.456 the practice field a few times a week in the spring. We're practicing six 00:00:27.489 --> 00:00:31.467 days a week so we have one off day but the meaning of hard work also 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:35.826 follows the team into the classroom doing great on the on the field or the 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:40.237 court is wonderful. Clearly we want to win. But I mean I think graduating 00:00:40.270 --> 00:00:43.667 and getting that degree is going to take you farther in life bailey along 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:46.896 with the rest of the issue athletes are getting tools to guide them in 00:00:46.929 --> 00:00:50.726 their journey to graduation from the university's office of student 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.756 athlete development all the way to coaches and faculty. One of the 00:00:54.789 --> 00:00:59.336 probably the greatest challenges of student athlete has his organization 00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:03.876 and managing their time. So as freshmen we make sure that they have a ton 00:01:03.909 --> 00:01:09.126 of structure. Um They have a certain amount of hours if you will. That 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:13.137 they have structured study time within the building here, Jean Boyd is a 00:01:13.170 --> 00:01:16.596 senior associate athletic director for the office of student athlete 00:01:16.629 --> 00:01:20.917 development at A. S. U. There's always academic professionals who are with 00:01:20.950 --> 00:01:25.337 them during that time monitoring what they're doing, monitoring um how 00:01:25.370 --> 00:01:29.337 they set up their work week. One of those people is Natalie burgess. She's 00:01:29.370 --> 00:01:33.337 an academic coach and life skills coordinator. Making sure that they're 00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:36.027 going to their study hall on time that they're getting their class 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:38.337 schedule that they need their classes around practice that they're 00:01:38.370 --> 00:01:42.126 complying with all the N. C. A. Requirements for academic eligibility. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.626 Natalie also helps them understand the importance of getting a degree and 00:01:45.659 --> 00:01:49.546 provides resources in their job search. We get students in here that are 00:01:49.579 --> 00:01:54.206 like I have no idea what I want to do. Help me figure it out and really 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:57.766 you don't tell them what to do. You just ask them questions to try to help 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.796 them figure out what they do want to do and what they don't want to do A 00:02:00.829 --> 00:02:04.406 issues commitment to both. Athletics and academics is paying off our 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:09.126 graduation success rate was 80% and our grade point average hit 3.0. For 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:14.547 the first time we had a 3.1 after the fall semester. So um definitely 00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:17.596 pleased with the progress but we've got our sights set higher. One of the 00:02:17.629 --> 00:02:20.327 sun devil teams to be consistent when it comes to doing well in the 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:24.656 academic world is women's tennis. We've done this for consistently and it 00:02:24.689 --> 00:02:28.647 doesn't surprise me that we're up to about 80% graduation rate. And like I 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:32.277 said it's it's it's sort of it's like coaching or slight teaches. It's all 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:36.337 a process bailey has proven she can balance her sport and studies. She's 00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:40.626 an academic all american and is on track to graduate next May one of our 00:02:40.659 --> 00:02:44.397 three prongs is Sun Devils graduate. That's just the Sun devil way. So I 00:02:44.430 --> 00:02:48.717 think they do a great job of making sure that students are successful and 00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:50.969 they are graduating.