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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
An Alternative Collegiate Route
St. Paul, MN
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We’ve all heard the fairytale story of the high school athlete earning a full-scholarship at a Division I school, completing their degree and going on to be successful in whatever they choose. Unfortunately for the majority, the first step in that process isn’t a reality, but that doesn’t mean that they have to throw out the dream completely.
For golfers, soccer players and soon baseball and softball players, Century College offers the opportunity for student-athletes to continue playing their sport after high school. The two-year college, located in White Bear Lake, looks to be a stepping-stone for student-athletes by focusing strongly on academics and providing an environment for them to improve their athletic skills.
After a 20-year stint away from sports, Century College decided to integrate athletics back into their school and started by offering mens and womens golf in 2005. The teams play in the Minnesota Community College Conference, which is a Division III level.
“We’ve been a competitive program since the beginning and have had some great stories of success,” said Mike McShane, the golf coach and co-athletic director. They’ve had players advanced to nationals the last two years and even a few that have earned spots on golf teams at prestigious four-year colleges such as Augsburg and Gustavus Adolphus.
The next sport Century College added was soccer, which was a club activity in 2007. Bo Conroy, the mens and womens soccer coach, is excited about the program’s first varsity intercollegiate season coming up this fall. “With so much interest in the program, it’s exciting to see the talent level rise,” said Conroy.
They are working on putting together a competitive league that includes community colleges from around Minnesota. Currently, their schedule includes two-year college teams as well as four-year college Junior Varsity squads from around the state, Wisconsin and Iowa.
The coaches are serious about their sports but never lose focus of the real reason behind Century College athletics. “It’s nice to win but it’s more about the student-athletes’ experiences both on the field and in the classroom,” said McShane. They hold the same academic standards as Division I schools and are proud to say that the golfers had over a 3.0 team GPA this year.
Century College shows their commitment to academics by hiring highly educated instructors and keeping the class sizes small, 20 on average. With more than 60 areas of study and credits that are easily transferable, it’s an affordable way to earn the first two years of a four-year degree.
The community college draws a very diverse student body because of their wide range of academic offerings and low costs. They host traditional-aged college students (ages 18 to 22), as well as adult students and have over 70 foreign countries represented in their student body.
The soccer team alone had 12 different nationalities involved in the program last year and Conroy enjoys being able to offer that diversity to his players. “Seeing the sport of soccer unite guys from different countries like Cambodia and Liberia is a special thing,” said Conroy.
As the Century College athletic department grows, they plan to offer softball and baseball next spring, so do the level of their programs. The goal is to create an athletic atmosphere that is comparable to the MIAC, a small-school Division III league, but offer a more affordable education.
McShane wants Century College to be an option for student-athletes coming out of high school. “Kids are able to be competitive in the sport they love and begin their college education for a fraction of the cost they would spend at a four-year college.”
Although it may not be the Division I dream scenario, it sounds like a great start to a collegiate career.
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A collection of this month's best action photos.
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