Enhancing U Program Continues to 'Thrive and Grow'
June 20, 2018 | Student-Athlete Enhancement
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JUNE 20, 2018 – Launched during the 2011-12 school year, the Enhancing U program within USF Athletics continues to grow by leaps and bounds when it comes to participation from student-athletes and professional mentors. Through the program, USF student-athletes are being prepared well for life after sports thanks to tireless support and direction from the program's staff and volunteers.
Preparing Bulls for the professional world consists of four Enhancing U program areas – career development, community engagement, personal enhancement and leadership advancement.
"Our culture and environment have continued to thrive and grow. We don't just talk the talk when it comes to saying our student-athlete experience overall is important," said Dr. Jodie Libadisos, Associate Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Enhancement. "We've truly walked the walk. This area has just been a priority for everybody within the program."
Take a look at growth numbers below and learn about each facet of the Enhancing U program.
Green Track
Enhancing U's Green Track provides basic education, experience and opportunities for student-athletes to develop necessary skills for a successful transition into USF and out to the professional world.
"At the end of the day, if you've done nothing else with us, you'll have transitioned to college successfully, have a solid resume on file and you'll have had a chance to be around professionals and learn dining etiquette," Libadisos said. "You'll be exiting with a good mindset in trying to figure out what your next steps are if you haven't already figured that out. Plus, you've been involved in the community and on campus, providing a mix of experiences to transition into successful citizens."
84 -- During the 2017-18 school year, 84 percent of USF's student-athletes (nearly 450 total) participated in the Green Track program through cohort events, logging in community hours, campus involvement and annual consultation.
91 – A total of 91 percent of USF student-athletes participated in cohort events in 2017-18, including rookie transition, resume workshops, the Dine Like a Pro etiquette event and the senior send-off.
"From a strategic plan perspective, our goal is to be at 100 percent at the end of five years. We are well on our way if you look at the numbers from this year," Libadisos said. "Really, it's a tribute to our coaches, our student-athletes and our staff. There's three years of data there, but this is the second year of truly implementing it."
Gold Track
Enhancing U's Gold Track goes the extra mile for student-athletes, providing them with advanced education, experiences and opportunities to fine-tune skills in each of the program areas - career development, community engagement, personal enhancement and leadership advancement. The Gold Track is optional but highly encouraged for student-athletes.
"It's all the extra opportunities for student-athletes who truly want to gain the most from their college experiences," Libadisos said. "The Gold Track is really taking it to another level from a development perspective."
53 – From 2016-17 to 2017-18, student-athlete participation in the personal enhancement portion of the Gold Track grew from 40 to 53 percent.
34 – Gold Track participant totals in the career development area have grown from 28 percent in 2016-17 to 34 percent this past school year.
Selmon Mentoring Institute
Honoring the legacy of the late and great Lee Roy Selmon, the Selmon Mentoring Institute is a progressive program for student-athletes. It all starts with the application process followed by a couple of courses and culminated by a valuable one-on-one mentoring experience.
82 – Student-athlete participation in the Selmon Mentoring Institute has grown from 24 annual student-athlete participants in 2013-14 all the way up to 82 annual student-athlete participants in 2017-18.
113 – A total of 113 student-athletes have graduated from the Selmon Mentoring Institute since its inception in 2014.
120 – The mentor pool has grown to 120 participants from companies such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, Westshore Financial, USF Health, Tampa Police Department, ESPN and Disney among many others.
Libadisos credits Selmon Mentoring Institute Director Kristen Harris for her efforts in helping the mentorship program grow in the past year.
"Kristen has done a fantastic job," Libadisos said. "She's great with students one-on-one and she's constantly recruiting student-athletes asking, 'Have you heard about the program? Let's find a time and place we can talk about it to make sure you get in.'"
It's Never Too Late for USF Student-Athletes
Throughout Enhancing U's history, staff members have seen a number of former USF student-athletes get back in contact regarding ongoing help with professional development.
The door is always open for Bulls of the past to get help in the present and future.
"Sometimes it takes until after college and we have students returning to say, 'I still need your help,'" Libadisos said. "For us, it's an ongoing process. The stats are looking good while they're here but we anticipate having more and more coming back for additional support after graduation. Mostly, we see student-athletes needing help with the mental and emotional transition after their athletic careers end as well as with the job search process. We are happy to meet them wherever they are and help them navigate their next steps."
Other Important Numbers of Note
4,790 – The number of community service hours logged in by USF student-athletes, coaches and staff during 2017-18.
56 – Through Enhancing U, USF Athletics increased its community service event/organization partnership total to 56 in 2017-18.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls' athletic program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015, having begun with a men's soccer contest in 1965. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 15 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including four in 2016-17, and own 112 conference championships overall. Ten USF programs reached national post-season competition in the 2016-17 season and nine were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a program-record 86 percent Graduation Success Rate in 2016, have logged an annual department grade-point average over a 3.0 for the seven straight semesters, and have seen 179 student-athletes earn their degrees since the fall of 2016.
Follow @USFAthletics on twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JUNE 20, 2018 – Launched during the 2011-12 school year, the Enhancing U program within USF Athletics continues to grow by leaps and bounds when it comes to participation from student-athletes and professional mentors. Through the program, USF student-athletes are being prepared well for life after sports thanks to tireless support and direction from the program's staff and volunteers.
Preparing Bulls for the professional world consists of four Enhancing U program areas – career development, community engagement, personal enhancement and leadership advancement."Our culture and environment have continued to thrive and grow. We don't just talk the talk when it comes to saying our student-athlete experience overall is important," said Dr. Jodie Libadisos, Associate Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Enhancement. "We've truly walked the walk. This area has just been a priority for everybody within the program."
Take a look at growth numbers below and learn about each facet of the Enhancing U program.
Green Track
Enhancing U's Green Track provides basic education, experience and opportunities for student-athletes to develop necessary skills for a successful transition into USF and out to the professional world.
"At the end of the day, if you've done nothing else with us, you'll have transitioned to college successfully, have a solid resume on file and you'll have had a chance to be around professionals and learn dining etiquette," Libadisos said. "You'll be exiting with a good mindset in trying to figure out what your next steps are if you haven't already figured that out. Plus, you've been involved in the community and on campus, providing a mix of experiences to transition into successful citizens."
84 -- During the 2017-18 school year, 84 percent of USF's student-athletes (nearly 450 total) participated in the Green Track program through cohort events, logging in community hours, campus involvement and annual consultation.
91 – A total of 91 percent of USF student-athletes participated in cohort events in 2017-18, including rookie transition, resume workshops, the Dine Like a Pro etiquette event and the senior send-off.
"From a strategic plan perspective, our goal is to be at 100 percent at the end of five years. We are well on our way if you look at the numbers from this year," Libadisos said. "Really, it's a tribute to our coaches, our student-athletes and our staff. There's three years of data there, but this is the second year of truly implementing it."
Gold Track
Enhancing U's Gold Track goes the extra mile for student-athletes, providing them with advanced education, experiences and opportunities to fine-tune skills in each of the program areas - career development, community engagement, personal enhancement and leadership advancement. The Gold Track is optional but highly encouraged for student-athletes.
"It's all the extra opportunities for student-athletes who truly want to gain the most from their college experiences," Libadisos said. "The Gold Track is really taking it to another level from a development perspective."
53 – From 2016-17 to 2017-18, student-athlete participation in the personal enhancement portion of the Gold Track grew from 40 to 53 percent.
34 – Gold Track participant totals in the career development area have grown from 28 percent in 2016-17 to 34 percent this past school year.
Selmon Mentoring Institute
Honoring the legacy of the late and great Lee Roy Selmon, the Selmon Mentoring Institute is a progressive program for student-athletes. It all starts with the application process followed by a couple of courses and culminated by a valuable one-on-one mentoring experience.82 – Student-athlete participation in the Selmon Mentoring Institute has grown from 24 annual student-athlete participants in 2013-14 all the way up to 82 annual student-athlete participants in 2017-18.
113 – A total of 113 student-athletes have graduated from the Selmon Mentoring Institute since its inception in 2014.
120 – The mentor pool has grown to 120 participants from companies such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, Westshore Financial, USF Health, Tampa Police Department, ESPN and Disney among many others.
Libadisos credits Selmon Mentoring Institute Director Kristen Harris for her efforts in helping the mentorship program grow in the past year.
"Kristen has done a fantastic job," Libadisos said. "She's great with students one-on-one and she's constantly recruiting student-athletes asking, 'Have you heard about the program? Let's find a time and place we can talk about it to make sure you get in.'"
It's Never Too Late for USF Student-Athletes
Throughout Enhancing U's history, staff members have seen a number of former USF student-athletes get back in contact regarding ongoing help with professional development.
The door is always open for Bulls of the past to get help in the present and future.
"Sometimes it takes until after college and we have students returning to say, 'I still need your help,'" Libadisos said. "For us, it's an ongoing process. The stats are looking good while they're here but we anticipate having more and more coming back for additional support after graduation. Mostly, we see student-athletes needing help with the mental and emotional transition after their athletic careers end as well as with the job search process. We are happy to meet them wherever they are and help them navigate their next steps."
Other Important Numbers of Note
4,790 – The number of community service hours logged in by USF student-athletes, coaches and staff during 2017-18.56 – Through Enhancing U, USF Athletics increased its community service event/organization partnership total to 56 in 2017-18.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls' athletic program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015, having begun with a men's soccer contest in 1965. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 15 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including four in 2016-17, and own 112 conference championships overall. Ten USF programs reached national post-season competition in the 2016-17 season and nine were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a program-record 86 percent Graduation Success Rate in 2016, have logged an annual department grade-point average over a 3.0 for the seven straight semesters, and have seen 179 student-athletes earn their degrees since the fall of 2016.
Follow @USFAthletics on twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.
- #GoBulls –
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