Player personal development

1/1/2010

All too often, the common college sports fan forgets that the athletes they watch do not play sports for a living. Those athletes are really amongst the millions of young Americans who make up our college and university population. Although many debate that the idea of amateurism and the real student-athlete have gone the way of the dinosaur, not everyone has given up on believing that college players can be successful students and athletes simultaneously. One organization in particular is on a mission to help athletes succeed in their off the field endeavours; On Focus (Fostering Opportunities and Career Utilizing Sport) was recently granted an NCAA affiliate membership. On Focus is a non-profit organization that provides innovative ways to assist student athletes, coaches, as well as educational institutions.

Although the concentration of most student athletes revolves largely around excelling at their sport, the challenges facing student athletes extend far beyond the playing field. Today, many student athletes across the globe are exiting their sport at the conclusion of their studies, but are left without some of the tools and skills to deal with the many transitions they will face. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options for these student athletes. Upon exiting sport, universities rarely provide support to such athletes, and the number of organizations providing services post-play is extremely limited.
On Focus’ President and Founder, Dr. Mark Robinson, credits Executive Vice President, Dr. Bernard Franklin, and the late NCAA President, Dr. Myles Brand for helping him develop the blueprint and build the foundation for an organization that would provide the personal development skills necessary for the well-rounded success of student athlete’s world-wide. He continues, “On Focus uses five core principles to bridge the gap between the services needed by student athletes and the limited options currently available.”
Former student athlete and NFL prospect DeQawn Mobley acknowledges On Focus’ relentless work toward the progress of youth and young adults; “The mentorship and individual guidance I’ve received from On Focus is the key ingredient to my schooling and personal success; On Focus led me to the right educational direction.” On Focus provides a set of comprehensive unique services centered on a personal development, academic guidance, societal contribution, and professional success. Former NFL player Keenan Howry explains, “They’re a great service that more young student athletes need to take advantage of in order to prepare themselves for a life after sports and school.”
The five core principles of transition that On Focus emphasizes are Education, Support, Preparation, Progress, and Exit. These services allow student athletes to experience success both in school and after the completion of their studies and participation in sport; and simultaneously allow educational institutions to provide needed services while raising athletic Grade Point Averages (GPA) and Academic Progress Rates (APR).
APR has become very important to coaches and institutions. On Focus also works with coaches to help with personal and institutional APR issues. At the request of the football coaches at Winston Salem State University, On Focus presented a workshop for the football team. According to Offensive Coordinator, Alan Hall, “The presentation that was given was both informative and inspirational…the On Focus program should be a component of every athletic department.”

OnFocus seeks to bring a philosophy of “Player Personal Development” to the student athlete. Focusing on the skills and knowledge that a regular student athlete facing the rigors of college sports needs to be successful in the real world. It seems for now that there is no short list of coaches who have come to see the true power of what OnFocus has to offer their athletes; “Over the course of a lifetime there are very few opportunities that one is given the answers to the test, On Focus provides just that, all the possible resources you can imagine are at your finger tips. The advice, the experience, and the level of commitment to help student athletes is unmatched by any other organization of this kind” says Dedrique Taylor, Associate Head Basketball Coach at Arizona State University.

To learn more about the unique services offered through On Focus, or to establish a partnership with your institution, visit the website at www.onfocus.org or email info@onfocus.org.

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