Milwaukee City Wire

UWM student athletes excel both on and off the field.

The UWM women’s tennis team recently received the Horizon League’s Raise Your Sights award for 2023-2024, an honor given to the top academic women’s and men’s teams based on combined grade point average for the academic year. The women’s tennis team led the league with a GPA of 3.857. Green Bay men’s golf was the top men’s team with a 3.8 GPA.

While the tennis team took top honors, athletes from other sports are also competitive academically. In the spring semester of 2024, 105 UWM student athletes posted a GPA of 3.8 or higher, according to Amanda Braun, UWM director of athletics.

Helping these athletes balance demanding sports competitions with academics is a team effort, involving coaches, advisors, campus resources and hard-working students.

Sara Simonova, a junior political science and international studies major from the Czech Republic, says that teammates are helpful with academics too. “We support each other, and UWM is so helpful.”

“We have a lot of leaders on our team, a really mature team,” said Mark Goldin, who took over as head women’s tennis coach this year. “What I can do as a coach is make clear what my priorities are for them.”

First is mental health, then schoolwork and community, and then tennis, he said. “There’s a reason they’re called student athletes, putting the student before the athlete. If you do your job as a coach of prioritizing the first three, you allow your students to maximize their abilities on the tennis court,” Goldin said.

UWM team coaches have “awesome resources” to help support student athletes.

The Athletics Department has a team of three advisors who work with students and faculty to help them balance academics with athletic competitions.

“Our job is really to help our students be students while also being an athlete,” said Clare Faurote, associate athletic director of academic services.

David Cox appreciates the academic support that athletes get. “When you’re in season, you don’t have lot of free time, especially if you’re on the road.”

“Our work with them really starts when they’re recruited,” Faurote said. “When the coaches bring them to campus, we meet and discuss the academic side of things. Right now we’re working with athletes who are starting this fall who are on campus for orientation.”

During the academic year, students meet weekly or bi-weekly with advisors as well as their major advisors.

“The transition from high school to college is challenging for any student so we have these freshman meetings to make a good foundation,” Faurote said. First-year students also take Educational Psychology 102 that teaches them time management and study skills. Advisors can introduce them to tutoring and other campus academic support resources as needed.

Giorgia Cavestro chose UWM because of its focus on academics. “I knew the environment I was joining was that school comes first so I try to do my best in the classroom,” she said.

Cavestro added that her teammates share this mindset: “All eight girls on the team have the same mindset... We study together; we help each other when needed.”

Cavestro majors in IT management and accounting and was honored as one of Lubar College's Lubar 25 program members recognizing outstanding undergraduate accomplishments in various fields including academics and leadership.

Nadiia Konieva acknowledges how UWM advisors assist athletes in balancing their commitments: "It's hard... but you can always talk to professors."

“Clare does a really good job of helping us manage our schedules,” David Cox reiterated about balancing his soccer commitments with his studies in political science and English.

Athletes receive letters from athletics advisors detailing their travel schedules which they share with professors for better coordination between sports competitions and academic responsibilities.

“Mental toughness is part of being an athlete," concluded Sara Simonova highlighting teamwork among peers alongside institutional support aiding her academic focus.