By Nikole Jaramillo
Freshmen and transfer student athletes now represent more than a third of Edgewood College athletes.
There are an estimated 220 to 250 student athletes representing Edgewood College. About 80 of these students are freshmen and 18 are transfers, based on the current rosters.
The increase in student athletes is due mostly to open spaces on teams and is not only a result of new student interest in participating in athletics, according to Athletic Director Al Brisack and Assistant Director Suann Saltzberry,
“We fill the teams based on roster needs,” said Brisack. “Very rarely do students come to us to join a team. We are actively recruiting.”
The Athletics Department doesn’t look to recruit just any student athlete. They search for those who have the right skill set and academic strength and who are a strong fit for Edgewood College. Both current team members and coaches take part in the recruitment process.
As a smaller college, coaches give personal attention, and there are many more opportunities to create connections on campus than at a larger university with many more teams.
The strongest pitch: Edgewood’s liberal arts focus. “For the students who are undecided or if they feel pressured about what they want to do, the Liberal Arts background of the school can expose them to different fields for them to dip their toes in,” Brisack said.
The recruitment tactics seem to work. Edgewood College has a 79 percent retention rate as a whole, but there’s an 85 percent retention rate among freshmen athletes.
Additionally, the coaches expect their players to dedicate as much time to their grades as their athletics.
In Varsity Athletics, student athletes maintain an average 3.37 GPA, and 151 were recognized as Conference Scholar-Athletes in the 2017-2018 school year.
Student athletes at Edgewood College choose not just its athletics program, but the college as a whole. “It’s the fabric of their lives. They’re committed to it,” Brisack said.
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