The University of Mississippi Athletics
STAFF BLOG: Student Leaders Making A Positive Impact
11/10/2009 | Athletics
The Ole Miss athletics department's senior administrators and leadership publish blogs on OleMissSports.com to offer fans added insight into the overall operation of the department. Derek Horne is in his 15th year with the athletics department and currently serves as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affair.
November 10, 2009
Among our roles as athletics administrators is to produce championship teams. That involves assisting with the personal development of our student-athletes. Our Office of Student-Athlete Academic Services does a great job preparing our student-athletes academically. The generous gift we receive from FedEx gives our department an opportunity to offer a broad spectrum of programming that keeps our athletes on course to graduate. On a continual basis, our student-athletes' graduation rates exceed the graduation rates of the university's general population.
Academic success is one component of our student-athletes' experience. We also understand the importance of our student-athletes' welfare. The NCAA mandates that each institution sponsors a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). I have the honor of serving as advisor of this awesome group of student-athletes. Our SAAC is a committee comprised of student-athletes that provide insight on the student-athlete experiences. Our SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes' lives on other NCAA member institution campuses. At least two student-athletes from each sport are selected to serve on the University of Mississippi's SAAC. The 2009-10 SAAC Officers are: Juliana Smith (Track and Field) - President, Colin Moleton (Track and Field) - Vice-President, Chris Bush (Track and Field), Emily Kvitle (Volleyball), Rory McKean (Baseball), Erica Swanson (Rifle).
SAAC meetings are held monthly throughout the academic year, and active participation by all teams is encouraged and expected. This leadership opportunity gives our student-athletes a chance to make changes that benefit the well being of their peers. It also gives them an chance to make positive impacts on their campus and community.
Our SAAC will be soliciting your support with some upcoming activities. This year they have partnered with "Cell Phones for Soldiers" to assist with offering calling cards to Mississippians engaged with the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For each used cell phone collected, a solder will receive a 60 minute calling card. We have over 5,000 Mississippians serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and would like to collect enough cell phones to give each soldier at least one calling card. For more information please go to http://www.olemiss.edu/green/cellphones.html. Your support would be appreciated.
Our other on-going activities sponsored by SAAC are our Rebel Reruns shoe collection efforts and our SEC Together We Can Food Drive. Through the great leadership efforts of SAAC, these projects continue to make a positive impact on our campus, in our community and globally.
We understand that the experiences our student-athletes encounter in college prepares them for life after sports. Through efforts of our SAAC, our current student-athletes are insured that their voices and challenges are being addressed. Also, the experiences they have will not only be life changing for them, but they have changed and will continue to change the lives of others.
February 20, 2009
We would like to thank those who took part in selecting our All-Century Team presented by Cellular South. We feel we have a well-rounded representation of former players that made positive contributions to Ole Miss men's basketball and the University. There have been a number of great athletes that have been associated with our program. We will recognize our All-Century and other former players this weekend during the Georgia game.
As we prepare to honor our All-Century Team, I found myself reflecting back to my time as a student-athlete. Names like John Stroud, Elston Turner, Sean Touhy and Coolidge Ball were mentioned with reverence. Their records and contributions were the benchmark for a men's basketball player at Ole Miss. Coach Country Graham did not miss many practices. He was always there offering an encouraging word. During my career, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play with Carlos Clark and Rod Barnes. These guys gave their all on and off the floor. They were great examples of what a leader should be.
As an administrator, I have seen players like Keith Carter, Ansu Sesay, Rahim Lockhart and Justin Reed take this program to another level. Their tireless effort and enthusiasm for the game made the "Tad Pad" a tough place for the visiting team. These greats paved the way for our most recent recruits. Their contributions on the national level brought positive exposure to our program and University. With the continued support of the University and our loyal fans, we will see our program continually improve.
The question is what we should expect to come in the next 100 Years. Coach Andy Kennedy is building a foundation that offers a bright future for Ole Miss Basketball. The young men he has recruited have come in and taken an active role in making opponents respect their abilities and not underestimate our program.
Our All-Century team consists of men who were great athletes and made a positive impact on Ole Miss Basketball, the Southeastern Conference and the nation. We encourage you to come out and help us celebrate their accomplishments as players and members of the Ole Miss family.
August 5, 2008
Former students are the life blood of our University. Our athletics department recognizes that former student-athletes have and continue to make a positive impact on our University and its athletics programs. These former athletes have sweat equity in our programs and understand the demands it takes to be successful.
The athletics department works closely with Clay Cavett, Associate Director of Alumni Affairs, to program activities that keep former athletes engaged with the University. We also work hard to encourage former athletes to get involved with these and other activities. One of the signature events is the M-Club Alumni Weekend scheduled for August 8-9. This weekend is designed to give former athletes an opportunity to see old friends and renew old relationships. We know that programs such as these can only be as success as the support it receives from its loyal fans and former athletes. Activities like this foster a sense of commitment and assist with our former athletes reaffirming their pledge to support our efforts.
There are a number of former athlete reunions scheduled throughout the season. This year, we are concentrating a special focused effort on our 1980s-90s Football Reunion, set for Saturday, November 1, when the Rebels host Auburn. We encourage all former players, managers, student trainers and others to register for this weekend. This year, we have developed a theme of "It's Time". This was the rally cry that Chucky Mullins issued to his teammates prior to their 1989 Liberty Bowl victory. Our desire for our former football players is to understand that it's time for them to come back and visit campus. It's time for them to support their program. It's time to be a part of bringing Ole Miss Football back to its winning ways.
The athletics department truly understands the commitments that are made by our athletes, and it is our desire to make sure they stay connected with their University long after their playing days end. We will continue to offer activities and events that give them an opportunity to remain a part of the Ole Miss family. If you are a former Rebel, please click here to visit our letterwinners site.
January 17, 2008
One of the major responsibilities for an athletics department is to make sure we offer our student-athletes a well-rounded college experience. Student-athletes not only attend a university to further their athletics careers, but they attend to develop skills that will give them opportunities to have successful careers. We have a program that assists with their development. Rebel Ready is a life skills program that offers student-athletes an opportunity to excel in five key areas.
Our Rebel Ready program uses the foundation suggested by the NCAA's CHAMPS Life Skills program. CHAMPS' five core principles focus on enhancing a student-athlete's collegiate experience through community service, athletic enhancement, academic excellence, personal development and career assistance.
My focus regarding our Rebel Ready program is to develop and implement programs that will get our student-athletes involved in community service, assist them with focusing on growing as a person, and prepare them for a career after they have completed their athletics pursuits. Jennifer Zimmerman serves as our Rebel Ready Coordinator. We work together to set up programs that will not only benefit our student-athletes but also our community.
One of our core concepts is service. In our community and state, our student-athletes are considered celebrities. Our goal is give them an opportunity to give back to the community and understand their responsibilities as role models. We accomplish this through activities such as reading sessions at elementary schools, visits to local covalent homes, canned food drives and service projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
When student-athletes are recruited, we stress the importance of an education and the opportunities a degree will afford them. Through our Rebel Ready program, we work with our University's Career Center in efforts to assist our student-athletes with seeking gainful employment. This past year, we hosted our first Backpack to Briefcase Etiquette Dinner. Student-athletes were paired with M-Club Alumni Chapter members and/or recruiters from local business to receive career advice and give them an opportunity to develop their networking skills.
Once we have assisted our student-athletes with completing their collegiate careers, we work to encourage them to stay involved with the athletics department and the university. We work closely with Clay Cavett and the M-Club Alumni Chapter to get all former letterwinners involved with university sponsored events. Also we will continue to develop programs to encourage support and participation from former athletes that are not involved with our efforts.
If you are interested in supporting our Rebel Ready program and activities related to former Ole Miss athlete involvements, please visit OleMissSports.com/RebelReady or email me at dhorne@olemiss.edu. Your support will assist us in preparing our student-athletes for life.