SPORTS STORIES:
SPORTS INFORMATION—2008
men's soccer plays smartest soccer in the country...
CLEVELAND, OH (November 25, 2008) - The Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team received a National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA) team academic award certificate for the fifth consecutive year.
The Spartans posted a 3.48 grade-point-average during the 2007-08 season, the highest team average in the nation (tied with Amherst College). The announcement was made on the NSCAA website.
The award is given to college soccer programs that averaged a 3.0 grade-point-average or higher during the academic school year. The Spartans 3.48 was higher than any other team in the country, and that list includes teams in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.
“This team knows how to prioritize their academics, and I’m proud of them,” Head Coach Dan Palmer said. “About eighty percent of our team is engineering and pre-med majors, so for them to be able to succeed in the classroom and on the field says a lot about these guys.”
Palmer acknowledges that his players can spend around 30-hours a week doing soccer related activities during the season, so their classroom accomplishments are that much more impressive.
“They comprehend that when you apply yourself, there will be positive results,” Palmer explained. “In the classroom they see their hard work gets them good grades, so they also understand that the hard work in practice will translate on the field.”
“Because they are so bright, they are able to grasp concepts from a tactical standpoint,” Palmer added.
The Case Western Reserve men finished the 2008 season with a 13-5-1 record.
The women’s soccer team also received the same team academic award, posting a 3.30 GPA. The Spartans were one of only 58 schools that had both their men’s and women’s soccer team get recognized.
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