Luke Vetsch
“Division III student-athletes play college sports for reasons that go beyond guaranteed scholarships and extensive media coverage they could expect to receive at larger schools. These individuals recognize that the student part of their title always comes first, and they value the whole educational experience”(1) said by William Peace University President Dr. Debra Townsley. College athletics is run by the NCAA which is powered by its motto “student first, athlete second.” For many athletes, college is the last stop in their athletic career and in college; this is where they learn the most about themselves. For 2009 Concordia college graduate Luke Vetsch, a wrestler at a division 3 school, he found that participating in sports really helped develop values that he could carry into the work force and the real world. These values such as hard work, discipline, and sacrifice have been helping him for years after he graduated.
According to the Concordia sports web page Athletic Tradition, Concordia’s philosophy on sports is more about participation than winning championships. Concordia’s goal for its athletes is to build the body, mind, and character. At this time, Concordia has more than 800 student athletes about a quarter of the college.(2) For wrestling, Concordia is part of the division III conference the MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and in 2009 they had a breakthrough year. The team went 10-1 in conference matches and had two wrestlers make it to the national meet with both becoming All-Americans. Despite all the success, because Concordia is a division III school, none of the athletes can receive athletic scholarships, so athletes like Luke Vetsch and the wrestlers had chosen to come to Concordia for more than just sports. William Peace University president Dr. Debra Townsley wrote in a 2013 article stating: “Division III student-athletes seek to refine their skills and excellence both in the classroom and on the field. They seek long-term knowledge and improvement by keeping the perspective that school comes first.”(3) Luke said in the interview he liked Concordia for more than just wrestling he liked the campus, small classes, and how it prepares you for later on in life.(4) This atmosphere allows wrestlers to succeed on the mats and also in the classroom.
Daan Braveman President of a division III school Nazareth College, said of student athletes, “While many of them may not become professional athletes, the students derive considerable benefits from participation -- benefits that extend well beyond college. Indeed, these student-athletes learn valuable life skills, including time management, leadership, integrity, fitness, and team work. They also learn to deal with both disappointment and success.”(5) Athletes at Concordia use the skills they learned in their sport and bring it to the classroom, use it for their jobs and lives after college. In his interview Vetsch said that from wrestling and his coaches he learned the values of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. (6) These values carried on into the class room and then on into his work life. Dr. Debra Townsly also stated in her article that division III athletes have a 68% graduation rate, which is better than students not in athletics with data coming from a sample of 128 division III schools.(7) According to the athletic history page on the Concordia sports site Concordia’s graduation rate among athletes is 92%. (8) This is an outstanding number and reinsures that participating in a sport helps you learn so many values. These values will help you in any situation in the classroom and out in the real world. The benefits of participating in a sport help students learn important values and have helped Vetsch out in his life after graduation.
Essay by Jeremy Johnson
(1) Townsley, Debra. "Division III Sports Are Good for Students, the Community and Their Schools." Huffington Post, August 15, 2013. Accessed December 7, 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-townsley/division-iii-sports-are-good_b_3761883.html
(2) "Athletic History." Concordia College. Accessed December 8, 2014. http://concordiamn.prestosports.com/athleticTradition/athletichistory
(3) Townsley, Debra. "Division III Sports Are Good for Students, the Community and Their Schools."
(4) Luke Vetsch, Interview by Gabby Gardner, October 10, 2014
(5) Braveman, Daan. "Celebrate Division III Athletics." Huffington Post, January 31, 2014. Accessed December 7, 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daan-braveman/celebrate-division-iii-at_b_4687717.html.
(6) Vetsch, Interview
(7) Townsley, Debra. "Division III Sports Are Good for Students, the Community and Their Schools."
(8) "Athletic History." Concordia College. Accessed December 8, 2014.