Student Athletes

The National Milk Mustache “got milk? ® ” campaign recently launched the call for entries for the 15th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Awards.   The 2012 SAMMY scholarship recognizes 25 student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, community service, leadership and who fuel their daily success with milk. Milk Mustache celebrity judges, Dara Torres and Chauncey Billups, will help select 25 winners from across the country who will receive a $7,500 college scholarship.

In his recent column ("Student-athletes need a degree, not a paycheck," May 6),Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.makes a persuasive case for the bargain available to students who are talented enough to win an athletic scholarship to a college or university. They, as Mr. Ehrlich was, are in college primarily to prepare for a career in something other than professional sports. However, for the student-athletes with professional prospects, I believe that we can design a better system. Although some might find this approach a radical change, I believe that it is practical in they way it effectively utilizes the existing infrastructure and would actually make the jobs of coaches and athletes clearer and simpler.

When he was in elementary school, Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin - already talented - created a scrapbook about his basketball skills. “No one can stop him,” Stoglin wrote. No one, it seems, but himself. On Monday, Maryland confirmed that Stoglin - a prodigious scorer who took a higher percentage of the team's total shots last season than almost any Terp in the last 60 years - had been suspended for a year for violating rules governing student athletes. Stoglin, a sophomore, entered his name for the NBA draft on Sunday, the last day a player could sign up for the June 28th draft.

Many of you know I was fortunate to play high school football at Gilman and college football at Princeton. What most of you do not know is that I worked as a graduate assistant on the Wake Forest football staff to pay for my room and board during law school. These experiences instilled in me a strong sense of the appropriate role of academics and athletics in our secondary schools and colleges. So it should come as no surprise that I have a strong opinion as to the increasingly aggressive calls to pay college athletes in revenue-producing sports.

Five Harford Community College Fighting Owls were recognized for their academic excellence with an award from the most prestigious collegiate committee of academics in the nation. These fall student-athletes earned Capital One Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA. Men's soccer's Kevin Connelly; Audrey Baldwin, Alex Kaputsos and Becky McManus of the women's soccer program; and volleyball's Abby Stevens were named to the Academic All-District Team for District 34. They were five of 16 junior college student-athletes named on the prestigious list among fall student-athletes.

Editor: The Al Cesky Scholarship Fund Inc. celebrated the 26th anniversary of the Al Cesky Scholarship Awards Banquet May 18 at the Richlin Ballroom. At the banquet, the fund awarded $54,000 in scholarships to 24 outstanding Harford County student-athletes. Those scholarship winners embody the purpose of the Al Cesky Scholarship Fund Inc., namely to preserve and keep visible the values reflected in the life and work of Al Cesky, with special reference to his contributions to spiritual, emotional and intellectual development of youth and his role in fostering community life.

I am writing in regard to the front page stories from the Sunday edition about untimely death of Yeardley Love. In the article highlighting the facts of the case against her former boyfriend, George Huguely ("Huguely jury to begin deliberation Wednesday," Feb. 19), I was disturbed, as a former student athlete, coach and educator, to read the defense attorney's statement "he is what you get; he's a boy athlete. " I was disgusted by this all inclusive statement that was clearly made to convince the jury that Mr. Huguely's behavior was the norm in the athletic community.

The NCAA's latest graduation numbers show nearly four out of five student-athletes earn their diplomas on time, an all-time high, and federal statistics show athletes are still more likely to graduate on time than other students.NCAA statistics show 79 percent of all freshmen entering school in 2002-03 graduated within six years, matching last year's record high. The four-class average, for students entering college between the fall of 1999 and the fall of 2002, also was 79 percent, a 1 percentage-point increase over last year's record.

Last week, longtime University of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams announced his retirement, and very quickly Maryland announced that Texas A&M Coach Mark Turgeon will replace him. No one doubts that during contract negotiations, Turgeon had lawyers advising and representing him. Coincidentally, just days before Mr. Williams made his announcement, Jordan Williams, Maryland's star sophomore basketball player, lost his eligibility to play...

In Anne Arundel County, the school board has raised the minimum requirements for students participating in sports activities. Is that too much to ask of high school athletes? Is it unrealistic to expect them to pass their classes before they're allowed to play football or basketball?The answer is no -- but school systems must show they understand that not everyone who fails does so because he or she is too lazy to do homework or show up for school.Anne Arundel's new requirements reflect respect for a school's primary mission -- to educate -- while showing compassion for students who have legitimate reasons for not doing well.

When he was in elementary school, Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin - already talented - created a scrapbook about his basketball skills. “No one can stop him,” Stoglin wrote. No one, it seems, but himself. On Monday, Maryland confirmed that Stoglin - a prodigious scorer who took a higher percentage of the team's total shots last season than almost any Terp in the last 60 years - had been suspended for a year for violating rules governing student athletes. Stoglin, a sophomore, entered his name for the NBA draft on Sunday, the last day a player could sign up for the June 28th draft.

Lauren Paul (McDonogh), who won a Division III national championship as the women's lacrosse coach at Franklin & Marshall, has been fired by the Lancaster, Pa., school after an investigation into a hazing complaint. Paul was dismissed Tuesday, and a group of junior and senior players was suspended for the rest of the season for planning and carrying out the hazing, which occurred last year, Kent Trachte , the school's dean, wrote in a letter sent to members of the college community.

It was amusing to read Paul Marx's complaint ("Towson U.: football factory?" April 17) about the hardest working football team in America - the CAA Champion Towson Tigers - the morning after I attended Towson's 10th annual Scholar Athletic Dinner. I sat with the football coach and several of his student athletes - each of whom had over a 3.5 GPA. Well over 100 students attended, approximately 40 percent of whom were male athletes. I have been privileged to serve as an adjunct faculty member at Towson University for 12 years.

While the phenomenon of March Madness college basketball seems to grow each passing year, I need to vent about what has transpired this past season. It's a travesty that basketball athletes like the ones at Kentucky are there solely for one season. Some of our esteemed universities have become "one-and-done" proving grounds for young men who move on to the NBA. Let's not mistake these men for aspiring scholars. Shame on places of higher learning like Kentucky and North Carolina for encouraging these talented athletes to attend those universities, simply to use the time there to showcase their talents for the NBA. They are attending these schools for two reasons only: to direct millions of dollars to the schools and to bring additional recognition to their basketball prowess.

I am writing in regard to the front page stories from the Sunday edition about untimely death of Yeardley Love. In the article highlighting the facts of the case against her former boyfriend, George Huguely ("Huguely jury to begin deliberation Wednesday," Feb. 19), I was disturbed, as a former student athlete, coach and educator, to read the defense attorney's statement "he is what you get; he's a boy athlete. " I was disgusted by this all inclusive statement that was clearly made to convince the jury that Mr. Huguely's behavior was the norm in the athletic community.

Five Harford Community College Fighting Owls were recognized for their academic excellence with an award from the most prestigious collegiate committee of academics in the nation. These fall student-athletes earned Capital One Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA. Men's soccer's Kevin Connelly; Audrey Baldwin, Alex Kaputsos and Becky McManus of the women's soccer program; and volleyball's Abby Stevens were named to the Academic All-District Team for District 34. They were five of 16 junior college student-athletes named on the prestigious list among fall student-athletes.

THE PROBLEM of unfairness and unequal opportunity for potential participants in college athletics doesn't lie in the minimum eligibility standards set by the NCAA.It's not that easy.The problem lies in the failure of this nation's high schools to adequately educate students so they can meet the admission requirements at the colleges and universities where they want to compete. Oh, and hopefully get an education at the same time.It lies with the universities that would be more than happy to turn a blind eye, if they could, to a potential star's dismal academic record in order to get him in pads and cleats and on the field.

It's appropriate with high school report cards coming out Friday that we announce some news about the 11th annual Anne Arundel All-County Academic-Athletic Team sponsored by The Baltimore Sun.The team honors the often unsung heroes in high school sports, the outstanding student-athletes. That's the student who excels in both academics and athletics.In the past, 12 boys and 12 girls have been honored each year, with two overall winners, one male and one female.This year, the top 10 boys and top 10 girls will be honored.

The National Milk Mustache “got milk? ® ” campaign recently launched the call for entries for the 15th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Awards.   The 2012 SAMMY scholarship recognizes 25 student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, community service, leadership and who fuel their daily success with milk. Milk Mustache celebrity judges, Dara Torres and Chauncey Billups, will help select 25 winners from across the country who will receive a $7,500 college scholarship.

Harford Community College's Shelby Key, a point guard for the Fighting Owls women's basketball team, was named a MD JUCO Student-Athlete of the Month for her efforts on the hardwood December. Key was a star on the court for the Fighting Owls as soon as the calendar turned to the year's final month. The rookie point guard totaled 17 assists in a conference victory over Anne Arundel and followed that performance with a triple-double in a win over Delaware County. Key scored 10 points with 12 assists and a career-high 13 rebounds in that contest while adding a then-career-high eight steals.