44.4 F
Oxford

R.E.B.S Summer Program Provides Preparation for Incoming Student-Athletes

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications

The transition from high school student-athlete to college student-athlete is a big transition that can often times leave incoming freshmen feeling ill-prepared for the expectations placed upon them both on the playing field and in the classroom.  Ole Miss’ student-athlete development staff, has created a program that helps incoming student-athletes with the sometimes difficult transition to life as a student-athlete.

R.E.B.S, which stands for Rising to Excellence and Building Success, is a summer program which helps incoming Ole Miss student-athletes acclimate to the classroom requirements of college, while teaching them tips and providing resources for them to build a solid foundation prior to their first fall on campus.

Ole Miss is one of a few athletic departments in the country to have a comprehensive summer program for their student-athletes and numerous academic centers across the country are trying to formulate programs much like the R.E.B.S program.

Ole Miss athletics director, Ross Bjork, has seen the success of the R.E.B.S. program and believes that it’s one of the very fundamental things Ole Miss does as an athletic department.

“When we recruit student-athletes we tell them that once we get them here, they are ours,” said Bjork.  “We have an immediate obligation to make sure that they are situated at the highest level in terms of time management, social behavior, conduct, financial literacy, etc. This program really epitomizes our core and at the core we are all teachers, and what better way to start them off than by teaching them real-life stuff.”

Senior associate athletic director of student-athlete development, Derek Cowherd, saw a need to improve in this area and implemented the R.E.B.S. summer program when he was hired.

“I had come from an institution that had a great summer program that had taken six years to create and implement and I felt like it was a prime opportunity to implement something here,” said Cowherd. “I knew that we had some staff members already researching the proper way to start a summer program, so we came up with a concept of what freshmen and transfer student-athletes would need to be successful.”

From there, Cowherd and his staff went about trying to put together a program that would benefit the student-athletes on the academic, life skills, classroom and social fronts.

“We put together a list of the most pressing and recurring student-athlete questions that our academic staff had to field each year,” said Cowherd. “We attempted to provide the students with the resources and friendly faces who could help with those questions.  It helped us learn more about our students, as well as helped them build relationships with academic counselors, learning specialists, life skill professionals, professors and other support staff while acclimating to college before school started in the fall.”

In the initial stages, Cowherd and his academic staff based the program on research that the three things that students need to be successful right off the bat are: study skills training as well as reading and writing skills. It’s been shown that if students could have more practice with those areas early on, students would be more successful, be retained after their first year and proceed on to graduation.

Ole Miss learning specialist, Briana Murphree, spearheads the program and has seen it evolve over the years.

“Initially when we started it four years ago, it wasn’t R.E.B.S as we know it today, said Murphree. “It was a summer bridge program and we partnered with the learning specialists on campus and JumpStart and brought them in house. It was a great starting point and gave us a basis for what we wanted to do and not do the following year. We really wanted to really focus on the student-athlete experience, in addition to the courses they were taking, and decided it would be best for us to bring it in house and that’s how R.E.B.S. as we know it today started.”

The goal of R.E.B.S. is to intertwine the experiences of the student-athlete both from the athletic standpoint and the academic aspect, so that they know the expectations from both fronts, while also introducing them to the abundant resources available to them on campus and within the athletic department.

“The goal from the start of the program is to introduce these student-athletes to as many people from the athletic department and campus as possible, so that at the end of their three and half weeks they have met someone outside of their sport and feel more comfortable going into the fall,” said Murphree.

Each year, the program tries to add an element to the program to enhance the experience and widen the resource net for the student-athletes. Initially, the learning specialists from the FedEx academic center did the bulk of the presentations, but as the program has evolved, academic counselors, as well as other areas from both campus and the athletic department, have been brought in to present to the student-athletes.

The real-life teaching element is one of the most important pieces of the program for Bjork.

“We are bringing them in and teaching them real-life stuff, it’s not a text book,” said Bjork. “We show them all of the issues that they will face and the more we prepare them on the front end, hopefully they do the right things throughout. But if there is a mistake made, we can point back to this time and say ‘remember when we talked about that,’ and now they’re prepared to handle it.”

This year’s R.E.B.S. program featured two new elements, a financial literacy piece which was conducted by Regions Bank as a part of their partnership with the Ole Miss athletic department and a series on media training conducted by Ole Miss athletic media relations’ staff. Both of these elements were done each week of R.E.B.S., building upon skills introduced the previous week.

One of the main goals of the R.E.B.S program is to ease some of the anxiety and fears that many student-athletes have coming to campus.

“If we get them in here in the summer, they can meet their coaches and teammates and get acclimated to campus without so much pressure,” said learning specialist Murphree. “They aren’t coming in as ‘green’ freshmen on day one of the fall. We want to ease their anxiety and create a sense of family for them, primarily over at the FedEx academic center but also just in the athletic department in general. We also want to give them a basic sense of resources, including people and places, that they have available to them.”

The academic piece of the R.E.B.S. program is invaluable. The program teaches them critical skills that will enable them to be successful in the classroom.  From note taking and studying to how to conduct one’s self in the classroom setting — the skillset Ole Miss student-athletes learn in the R.E.B.S. program gives them a solid academic foundation.

The R.E.B.S. program has seen numerous results over the years and some are as simple as the student-athletes knowing who to ask when they have a question, but the common denominator in all of this is that the incoming student-athletes have a realistic grasp of expectations in the classroom, on the playing fields and socially.

“We have seen some major gains academically,” said Cowherd. “This program teaches them to take notes, outline a class and provides opportunities to learn more of the skills that they need to be successful in college.”

The numbers also show the success of the program. The overall GPA of student-athletes in the program has increased from a 3.26 to a 3.45 in two years and the number of hours earned over the summer has improved to over 350 earned hours this summer.

Coaches play a significant role in the success of this program and Cowherd and his staff are quite appreciative of the willingness of the Ole Miss coaches to help make this program successful.

“When asked, our coaches have always supported this program and they have made it feel as if it’s not mandatory for their students, but expected, and that’s been a huge help to the program,” said Cowherd.

While the program has been successful and has evolved over the years, the long-term goal is to provide some type of programming for the freshmen and newcomers year round. This fall, there will be a speaker series for those newcomers that couldn’t make it in the summer and there will also be programming in the spring as the R.E.B.S. program moves to more of a year-round model, which will likely be one of the first of its kind.

It’s also the goal of the program to work with the campus side of things to offer more full summer courses so that the student-athletes can become even more immersed in what campus life is like and not be so rushed.

“It’s our obligation to make sure that our student-athletes are completely comfortable and situated, said Bjork. “Knowing that there is so much pressure on them to do well in their respective sports and also in the classroom and life. We are educators and it’s up to us to educate our athletes on all that they will face. This program sets us apart because we’re one of the few in the country that can offer this type of summer immersion for our student-athletes.”

Cowherd said it best, “It’s not just about sports, it’s about being a student.” A student in the classroom, on the field and in life and that’s what the R.E.B.S. program teaches at Ole Miss.

Ole Miss Student-Athlete Development Mission
The mission of Ole Miss’ Student-Athlete Development program is to challenge student-athletes to be lifelong learners while pursuing continuous improvement academically, relationally, socially, personally, and professionally during and beyond their careers as student-athletes.

Student-Athlete Development is the hub for a wide range of Ole Miss athletics sponsored programs designed to meet the needs of student-athletes and their families. It is divided into six areas: Student-Athlete Assistance Services, Career Development, Continuing Education, Community Outreach, Financial Education and Career Transition.

Visit Student-Athlete Development for more information on Ole Miss’ Student-Athlete Development program.


Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics 


Adam Brown
Adam Brown
Sports Editor

Most Popular

Recent Comments

scamasdscamith on News Watch Ole Miss
Frances Phillips on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Grace Hudditon on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Millie Johnston on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Binary options + Bitcoin = $ 1643 per week: https://8000-usd-per-day.blogspot.com.tr?b=46 on Beta Upsilon Chi: A Christian Brotherhood
Jay Mitchell on Reflections: The Square
Terry Wilcox SFCV USA RET on Oxford's Five Guys Announces Opening Date
Stephanie on Throwback Summer
organized religion is mans downfall on VP of Palmer Home Devotes Life to Finding Homes for Children
Paige Williams on Boyer: Best 10 Books of 2018
Keith mansel on Cleveland On Medgar Evans
Debbie Nader McManus on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: The Last of His Kind
Richard Burns on A William Faulkner Sighting
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Ruby Begonia on Family Catching Rebel Fever
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
jeff the busy eater on Cooking With Kimme: Baked Brie
Travis Yarborough on Reflections: The Square
BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH on Oxford is About to Receive a Sweet Treat
baby travel systems australia on Heaton: 8 Southern Ways to Heckle in SEC Baseball
Rajka Radenkovich on Eating Oxford: Restaurant Watch
Richard Burns on Reflections: The Square
Guillermo Perez Arguello on Mississippi Quote Of The Day
A Friend with a Heavy Heart on Remembering Dr. Stacy Davidson
Harold M. "Hal" Frost, Ph.D. on UM Physical Acoustics Research Center Turns 30
Educated Citizen on Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
Debbie Crenshaw on Trump’s Tough Road Ahead
Treadway Strickland on Wicker Looks Ahead to New Congress
Tony Ryals on parking
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
C. Scott Fischer on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Sylvia Williams on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Will Patterson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Rick Henderson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
George L Price on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
on
Morgan Shands on Cleveland: On Ed Reed
Richard McGraw on Cleveland: On Cissye Gallagher
Branan Southerland on Gameday RV Parking at HottyToddy.com
Tom and Randa Baddley on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
26 years and continuously learning on Ole Miss Puts History In Context With Plaque
a Paterson on Beyond Barton v. Barnett
Phil Higginbotham on ‘Unpublished’ by Shane Brown
Bettina Willie@www.yahoo.com.102Martinez St.Batesville,Ms.38606 on Bomb Threat: South Panola High School Evacuated This Morning
Anita M Fellenz, (Emilly Hoffman's CA grandmother on Ole Miss Spirit Groups Rank High in National Finals
Marilyn Moore Hughes on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
Jaqundacotten@gmail williams on HottyToddy Hometown: Hollandale, Mississippi
Finney moore on Can Ole Miss Grow Too Big?
diane faulkner cawlley on Oxford’s Olden Days: Miss Annie’s Yard
Phil Higginbotham on ‘November 24’ by Shane Brown
Maralyn Bullion on Neely-Dorsey: Hog Killing Time
Beth Carr on A Letter To Mom
Becky on A Letter To Mom
Marilyn Tinnnin on A Letter To Mom
Roger ulmer on UM Takes Down State Flag
Chris Pool on UM Takes Down State Flag
TampaRebel on UM Takes Down State Flag
david smith on UM Takes Down State Flag
Boyd Harris on UM Takes Down State Flag
Jim (Herc @ UM) on Cleveland: Fall Vacations
Robert Hollingsworth on Rebels on the Road: Memphis Eateries
David McCullough on Shepard Leaves Ole Miss Football
Gayle G. Henry on Meet Your 2015 Miss Ole Miss
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Neely-Dorsey: Elvis Presley’s Big Homecoming
Jennifer Mooneyham on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Wes McIngvale on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
BARRY MCCAMMON on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
Laughing out Loud on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Dr.Bill Priester on Cleveland: On Bob Priester
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
paulette holmes langbecker on Cofield on Oxford – Rising Ole Miss Rookie
Ruth Shipp Yarbrough on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Karllen Smith on ‘Rilee’ by Shane Brown
Jean Baker Pinion on ‘The Cool Pad’ by Shane Brown
Janet Hollingsworth (Cavanaugh) on John Cofield on Oxford: A Beacon
Proud Mississippi Voter on Gunn Calls for Change in Mississippi Flag
Deloris Brown-Thompson on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Sue Ellen Parker Stubbs on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Karen fowler on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Don't Go to Law School on Four Legal Rebels Rising in the Real World
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
Joanne and Mark Wilkinson on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Mary Ellen (Dring) Gamble on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Cyndy Carroll on Filming it Up in Mississippi
Dottie Dewberry on Top 10 Secret Southern Sayings
Brother Everett Childers on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Mark McElreath on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Bill Wilkes, UM '57, '58, '63 on A Letter from Chancellor Dan Jones
Sandra Caffey Neal on Mississippi Has Proud Irish Heritage
Teresa Enyeart, and Terry Enyeat on Death of Ole Miss Grad, U.S. Vet Stuns Rebel Nation
P. D. Fyke on Wells: Steelhead Run
Johnny Neumann on Freeze Staying with Rebels
Maralyn Bullion on On Cooking Southern: Chess Pie
Kaye Bryant on Henry: E. for Congress
charles Eichorn on Hotty Tamales, Gosh Almighty
Jack of All Trades on Roll Over Bear Bryant
w nadler on Roll Over Bear Bryant
Stacey Berryhill on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
John Appleton on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Charlotte Lamb on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Two True Mississippi Icons
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Jeanette Berryhill Wells on HottyToddy Hometown: Senatobia, Mississippi
Tire of the same ole news on 3 "Must Eat" Breakfast Spots in Oxford
gonna be a rebelution on Walking Rebel Fans Back Off the Ledge
Nora Jaccaud on Rickshaws in Oxford
Martha Marshall on Educating the Delta — Or Not
Nita McVeigh on 'I'm So Oxford' Goes Viral
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on How a Visit to the Magnolia State Can Inspire You
Charlie Fowler Jr. on Prawns? In the Mississippi Delta?
Martha Marshall on A Salute to 37 Years of Sparky
Sylvia Hartness Williams on Oxford Approves Diversity Resolution
Jerry Greenfield on Wine Tip: Problem Corks
Cheryl Obrentz on I Won the Lottery! Now What?
Bnogas on Food for the Soul
Barbeque Memphis on History of Tennessee Barbecue
Josephine Bass on The Delta and the Civil War
Nicolas Morrison on The Walking Man
Pete Williams on Blog: MPACT’s Future
Laurie Triplette on On Cooking Southern: Fall Veggies
Harvey Faust on The Kream Kup of the Krop
StarReb on The Hoka
Scott Whodatty Keetereaux Keet on Hip Hop — Yo or No, What’s Your Call
Johnathan Doeman on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
Andy McWilliams on The Warden & The Chief
Kathryn McElroy on Think Like A Writer
Claire Duff Sullivan on Alert Dogs Give Diabetics Peace of Mind
Jesse Yancy on The Hoka
Jennifer Thompson Walker on Ole Miss, Gameday From The Eyes of a Freshman
HottyToddy.com