Bobcat basketball players during a study session in Omaha
Academic Help Follows Bobcat Basketball Team on the Road
12/10/2016 10:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With help from private donors, MSU men's basketball players prep for finals
It began with a cursory look at the Bobcat men's basketball schedule by the team's academic services coordinator early in the fall. The red flag flew almost immediately.
"I saw that the team was going to be gone almost the whole week before finals," said Sarah Green, now in her seventh year at MSU and fifth in Bobcat Athletics' Academic Services office. "That's a really difficult situation for the kids, trying to travel and practice and play and still stay on top of the school work."
So Green, a former student-athlete herself at Montana Western, took an idea to Bobcat basketball coach Brian Fish. "I thought if we could provide some academic support on the road, give some structure to their time but also help with specific subjects, we could really prepare them for finals week."
Fish embraced the idea immediately, and set about turning it into action. That meant funding the project, and with assistance from MSU's Associate AD for Development Josh Wanago, Fish found donors willing to aid his quest to give his student-athletes a clearer path to academic success.
Enter Burke and Melissa Moran, and Chuck and Janine Gatzemeier. "They recognized immediately that the most important thing we can do is help our guys with their academics," Fish said. "Sarah did a great job organizing this and pulling it together, and Elissa is excellent at helping out in so many different subjects."
Elissa Taylor is the tutor Green chose for the two-day study session, and it wasn't by accident. The senior from Libby majors in Exercise Science, graduating with honors in a week before pursuing an advanced degree in occupational therapy, and is able to provide assistance and advice in a wide range of subject areas. "Calculus, biology, writing, she can do it all," Green says.
Taylor, one of the team's regular tutors, smiles. "It's more fun than doing my own homework," she says with a laugh.
Amidst the hassles of team travel the players' homework always gets done. Study tables are a fact of life on the road. But Fish says that as in big games, finishing strong is crucial.
"This is an important time of the semester," he said. "Between final exams coming up and projects and presentations, and then mix in the commitment to basketball, and the travel, these guys are pulled in a lot of directions. Helping them structure their time and focus on what's most important helps them be prepared for what they're dealing with, but it's also a great lesson for other times in their lives."
Montana State finishes a five-day, two-game road trip at Omaha Saturday at 6 pm, before returning to Bozeman and the rigors of final exams. The Bobcats host South Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 pm, and finish the non-conference schedule by hosting Central Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 7 pm.
"I saw that the team was going to be gone almost the whole week before finals," said Sarah Green, now in her seventh year at MSU and fifth in Bobcat Athletics' Academic Services office. "That's a really difficult situation for the kids, trying to travel and practice and play and still stay on top of the school work."
So Green, a former student-athlete herself at Montana Western, took an idea to Bobcat basketball coach Brian Fish. "I thought if we could provide some academic support on the road, give some structure to their time but also help with specific subjects, we could really prepare them for finals week."
Fish embraced the idea immediately, and set about turning it into action. That meant funding the project, and with assistance from MSU's Associate AD for Development Josh Wanago, Fish found donors willing to aid his quest to give his student-athletes a clearer path to academic success.
Enter Burke and Melissa Moran, and Chuck and Janine Gatzemeier. "They recognized immediately that the most important thing we can do is help our guys with their academics," Fish said. "Sarah did a great job organizing this and pulling it together, and Elissa is excellent at helping out in so many different subjects."
Elissa Taylor is the tutor Green chose for the two-day study session, and it wasn't by accident. The senior from Libby majors in Exercise Science, graduating with honors in a week before pursuing an advanced degree in occupational therapy, and is able to provide assistance and advice in a wide range of subject areas. "Calculus, biology, writing, she can do it all," Green says.
Taylor, one of the team's regular tutors, smiles. "It's more fun than doing my own homework," she says with a laugh.
Amidst the hassles of team travel the players' homework always gets done. Study tables are a fact of life on the road. But Fish says that as in big games, finishing strong is crucial.
"This is an important time of the semester," he said. "Between final exams coming up and projects and presentations, and then mix in the commitment to basketball, and the travel, these guys are pulled in a lot of directions. Helping them structure their time and focus on what's most important helps them be prepared for what they're dealing with, but it's also a great lesson for other times in their lives."
Montana State finishes a five-day, two-game road trip at Omaha Saturday at 6 pm, before returning to Bozeman and the rigors of final exams. The Bobcats host South Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 pm, and finish the non-conference schedule by hosting Central Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 7 pm.
Thursday, March 03
Friday, November 05
Monday, November 01
Sunday, October 31
