SECRETS OF SUCCESS

MOSCOW, Idaho – A pair of Idaho Athletics administrators spent some time with Dr. Shane Needham last week, joining the Secrets of Success podcast to discuss the current state of affairs in athletics.
 
Much of the plans remain fluid as the NCAA, Big Sky Conference, University of Idaho and the State Board of Education continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation.  With the NCAA lifting its moratorium on voluntary athletics, the Vandals are building toward bouncing back to some level or normalcy in the near future.
 
"The NCAA lifted its moratorium on voluntary activities," said Director of Athletic Training Services Chris Walsh.  "Basically, the student-athletes would have access to working out in a voluntary fashion on campus, utilizing the facilities.  That opens the door for those opportunities to begin happening.  There are a few schools within our conference, and more throughout the country, that opened the doors on June 1.  And there are some that aren't even considering that right now.
 
"We're not at that point today, from our department standpoint.  We're getting prepared.  There's a lot that goes into that.  I wish it was as easy as opening the doors and saying, 'welcome back.'  A lot is dictated by state guidelines.  There are multiple different guidelines that come in here.  NCAA lifting that is one thing, but we need to follow our state guidelines, along with our campus guidelines.  Everyone has their own policies and plans, and resources as well."
 
The summer is usually the perfect time for Vandals to get together.  Much of the administrative staff and many of the coaches traditionally spend the summer traveling throughout the Gem State for a number of events and golf outings.  The Vandal Scholarship Fund local chapters put some events on hold, but are excited to potentially get things moving again in the coming months.
 
"We had to put on hold some of our annual special events, in particular our golf tournaments.  It's an opportunity for us to rally the Vandal family in their respective communities," said Associate Athletic Director for Development Mahmood Sheikh.  "Our athletic administrators, our coaches, they make a point to come out to those events.  We are hoping that come mid-July we can get that going again.  If we can get to a point where we can get our fans together and get to that place of normalcy, that would be something that we can all appreciate."
 
One thing that remained consistent between Walsh and Sheikh was the focus on the student-athletes.
 
"Across the board they're doing well.  We have 315 student-athletes.  I've talked to a lot of them, and they're chomping at the bit to get back here," Walsh said.  "They're really excited to come back.  This is their life, and it's not just athletics, it's school as well.  They're young adults, this is their opportunity to be on their own, be independent and grow.  A lot of them want to come back, and quite a bit of them are back in town working jobs.  I think it's just a positive vibe, all across the department and the student-athletes."
 
"We have the equivalency of 185 full scholarships at the University of Idaho, and the cost of a full scholarship is $20,000 per year," Sheikh said.  "You're looking at a $3.64 million investment that's put right back into the institution in tuition, fees, room and board.  If they live off campus that's money that's going directly into the city of Moscow or Latah County.  What we are asking our alumni base and our fanbase to do is to invest in our student-athletes and that's through the Vandal Scholarship Fund."
 
To help support Idaho's more than 300 student-athletes during this difficult situation, head over to UIdaho.edu/giveVSF
 
For more on the Secrets of Success podcast, check the link at the top of the article or search Secrets of Success with Dr. Shane Needham on your favorite podcast provider.
 
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