Academic Staff Helps Liberty Athletics Program Break Program’s GPA Mark

Juggling sports and academics is a challenge for student-athletes at any time. The difficulties of COVID-19 amplified that juggling act throughout the spring and fall, but the staff of the Office of Academic Affairs for Athletics have worked hard to help athletes cope – and their hard work has paid off. 

During the spring of 2020, Liberty’s 20 athletic teams managed to earn a combined GPA of 3.27, the highest in Liberty athletics history, thanks in part to the work of the academic affairs office. 

As classes moved online, so did the office’s tutoring services and weekly academic progress meetings with athletes and coaches. Having already used Microsoft Teams and similar platforms during the spring, the Office of Academic Affairs adjusted to a hybrid system that gives students a choice between meeting online or in-person.

Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academic Affairs Kristie Beitz realized that the unexpected loss of their seasons left a gap in the lives of student athletes.

“The biggest challenge we have faced this semester would be ensuring that we’re meeting each individual student-athlete’s needs holistically,” Beitz said.

According to Beitz, this meant supporting student-athletes academically, athletically, socially and spiritually.

Despite the season cancellations, students continue to compete in intra-squad competitions which have provided some motivation for athletes to train through the fall.

During the lockdown, communication between the office and the student-athletes was crucial in keeping students engaged socially. Beitz and her staff frequently reached out to their athletes through text, video call and even physical letters of encouragement.

Even with the additional support, studying during a lockdown and then a return to school carries challenges. For field hockey senior Alexis Paone, a nursing major, she has struggled to get all the experience she would like outside of the classroom.

“It’s been difficult just making sure I get my clinical hours in and all my work done as I get ready to graduate and move on and getting a job,” Paone said. 

Paone said that some clinical opportunities have been modified and even canceled because of the pandemic. The current state of nursing along with the uncertainty of collegiate athletics created some challenges in her final year at Liberty.

“Everything is uncertain right now and it’s just hard expecting and preparing all summer for a season this fall then finding out right before we’re not going to have one anymore. That was tough to deal with,” Paone said.

For junior track and field athlete Joe Spitzer, this semester has been pretty normal academically speaking. His biggest challenge as an electrical engineering major has been replicating hands-on circuit labs online.

“With my engineering classes, it’s normally hands on. With COVID … we can’t really do that,” Spitzer said “Most of our labs are just online or simulations through software.”

Spitzer says that while he does learn the course material, he prefers doing the labs in person.

Despite these untraditional challenges, the time away from competition came with a silver lining for Liberty’s student athletes that ultimately led to breaking Liberty’s GPA record.

“I think that’s a testament and a commitment to our faculty and staff and our student-athletes,” Beitz said.

Cosentino is a Sports Reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @Runner_of_steel.