Forget ‘either/or.’ When you join one of Willamette’s intercollegiate teams, you choose to excel at your sport and your education. You choose coaches who will ask about your coursework, and professors who will cheer for you on game day.
We take our Division III sports just as seriously as our liberal arts education. We have to; 25% of our students are intercollegiate athletes. They enroll here because they want an excellent education and they want to pursue the sports they love.
It takes a special person to balance both. Student-athletes must learn essential life-skills such as time management, organization and prioritization. In service to their students, coaches check in with freshman athletes to ensure they’re adjusting to their new expectations and independence.
That service ethic applies to student-athletes, too. Every year, our teams go out into the local community to volunteer in schools, food pantries, parks, and other places. We believe it’s essential and appropriate that our teams should go out and serve.