Team Recognition Continues Streak of Strong Academics for Wolverines
10/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 12, 2016
Throughout University of Michigan women's soccer head coach Greg Ryan's nine-year career in Ann Arbor, success has become synonymous with the program, not just on the field, but in the classroom.
Ryan recognizes that the players he recruits are students before athletes and that their academic success is going to set them up well for whatever career path they choose after Michigan.
"Everything for us is about recruiting and who comes in our front door," said Ryan. "Recruiting kids that are going to be academically successful at Michigan is a huge priority."
Upon taking over the program at Michigan, Ryan quickly learned what a special place Michigan is and how much Michigan challenged its students in the classroom. Ryan and his staff know it takes the right type of individual to excel academically and athletically as a Wolverine.
"Being here at Michigan as long as we have, we understand what it takes to be successful," Ryan added. "Michigan attracts the top students so it makes recruiting the top student-athletes in the country easier."
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recently recognized 577 women's soccer programs from all divisions across the country for their team academic success during the 2015-16 academic year. The award requires teams to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the entire academic year. (The NSCAA determined team GPAs by adding every player's GPA, then dividing by the number of players.) Despite the fact that U-M is halfway through its 2016 season and the 2015 seniors have been graduated for nearly six months, the 2015 team's accomplishments at Michigan are still being rewarded.
"I'm really proud of that 2015 group because that was one of the best groups of student-athletes I've ever coached," said Ryan. "They far exceeded the minimum team GPA requirement for that award so I'm really impressed with that specific group of players."
That 2015 team is one link in a chain of steady academic success for the women's soccer program, which is one of the most consistently high-achieving academic teams at U-M. In Ryan's nine years at Michigan, his student-athletes have earned 97 Academic All-Big Ten honors, including 16 of the 22 eligible members of the 2015 squad (criteria: minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, letterwinner, at least sophomore status). The 2014 and 2015 teams had six players recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, tying the most by a Michigan team since the award originated in 2008 (criteria: minimum 3.7 GPA for that academic year, letterwinner, at least sophomore status).
In addition, three players earned Capital One Academic All-District V first team honors, an award that requires a starter or important reserve to have a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA to be nominated. In an impressive feat, those three Wolverines secured three of the 11 spots on the District V first team list, and it marked the first time U-M put three players on that list in the same year.
Members of the 2015 team at the Michigan Athletics Student-Athlete Recognition Celebration
The 2015 team's seniors pose for a photo in the Big House before graduation
Current senior Anna Soccorsi, an environment major from Yardley, Pennsylvania, was one of the two Wolverines that earned all three major academic honors in 2015 -- Academic All-Big Ten, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-District. As an upperclassmen on the 2016 team, Soccorsi helps stress the importance of athletic and academic balance to her teammates.
"Coming in freshman year, our upperclassmen instilled the value of doing well in school and making sure we're putting the same amount of effort into our course work as we do on the field," said Soccorsi. "As the upperclassmen on the team now, we make sure that everyone is going to class, communicating with their teachers, and finding the right balance between being a student and being an athlete."
As Ryan stressed, it is his job to find students that will be able to thrive in the challenging academic environment at Michigan, but as his student-athletes arrive on campus, they are met with a host of resources to help them along their academic journey. U-M's Academic Success Program (ASP) is designed to help student-athletes thrive in the classroom and prepare for life after Michigan.
"There are so many things that Michigan and the athletic department do to promote academic success here, especially with the Academic Success Program," said Ryan. "Our academic advisor, Ruquel Atchinson, does a great job with our student-athletes, and I get weekly reports so I know if any of our girls need extra help. Tiffany Hansen, our assistant coach, also does a fantastic job as our academic liaison, working with ASP and admissions throughout the recruiting process, so we have a lot of great people supporting our program."
Because Ryan recruits the right self-motivated student-athletes who are then provided with a wealth of resources to guide them along the way, the majority of his focus can remain on the program's on-field success.
"It has become part of the culture on the team where you get on the bus and everybody is studying, you get an extra room at the hotel and everybody is in there studying," said Ryan. "Fortunately, we're at a point with our program where that culture continues to repeat itself so it doesn't take a lot of managing."
Academic awards have become a frequent occurrence for Ryan's teams, and recognizing those accomplishments is just as important as the work that goes into earning them.
"Part of my job as the head coach is just to be encouraging with them in their academics," said Ryan "We make sure they know we are there to help if they're ever struggling, and to acknowledge and celebrate their successes."
Soccorsi and her former and current teammates appreciate the support from their coaches. "Our coaching staff is always making sure we're doing well, and if we earn an academic achievement, they find ways to congratulate us as a team and give that positive encouragement to keep doing what we're doing."
On the field or in the classroom, success is a priority that has been engrained in Ryan's program.
