SCAD Atlanta, you asked and our school has delivered. Drum roll, please … we officially have sports! “Goooooooo, Beeees!” Ringing in the 2010 Fall quarter, SCAD Atlanta welcomes its new Student Artist Athletes, including an international team of men and women from Texas to Serbia. These students are ready and willing to take over tennis, golf and cross country running.
SCAD’s impressive coaches are also ready to dominate and conquer, on and off the field. Coach Wyatt Graff, the sports information director and men’s and women’s head golf coach, is a former Bee from Savannah. In fact, students can find his work in the Atlanta DMC building. Coach Avard Moncur was ranked #1 in the world for the 400 meter dash in 2001 and also holds silver and bronze Olympic medals. Brad Iftner serves as the athletics director and the men’s and women’s tennis coach. He also coached NAIA All-American Natasha Yakimovich through an undefeated season in singles and led the Cumberland University Bulldogs to a top 25 national ranking in 2009. These three coaches come from greatness and believe in greatness, as they stress, “integrity, respect, sportsmanship, responsibility, education and servant leadership.”
“We want people to see that these students are artists and athletes and have an ‘aha’ moment,” Graff stated. These student athletes are being groomed to be great individuals as well as great athletes. The golf coach elaborated that the SCAD student body will not see stereotypical bad behavior from these college athletes. When recruited, the students were not asked how “good” they are at their sport, but what they want to study. The athletes must be “SCAD material,” because they will be volunteering in the community, getting their school work done and achieving high marks.
“Our goal for our athletes,” Moncur observed, “is to better their lives … they have to be competitive, learn time management and have discipline; all of these you get from sports and more so from SCAD. All of the athletes are first year students and the coaches said that their adjustment to the school has been great. Ali Thomas from Akron, Ohio said that she chose SCAD Atlanta “because I have a strong passion for the arts. The city itself is so inspiring and full of opportunity and life. There seemed to be endless choices of study, and the technology and resources are always at reach to achieve whatever my mind creates.” Thomas can enjoy her athletic endeavors while pursuing her artistic passion. “SCAD and athletics make for better, well-rounded people and students,” said Moncur. The Student Artist Athletes always have “support.”
In the next five years, Graff hopes that the Bees can qualify individually and as teams for Nationals and All American sporting events. SCAD is an independent college and this places the institution in a grace period. “Our intention is get to conference affiliation, so we can automatically qualify for nationals,” Graff stated. He also asserted that he would like to see the students push their student athlete friends and commend them on the great job they are doing. Also, if anyone wants a chance to tryout or help with the team, the coaches’ offices are always open.
You can find schedules and bios of the Student Artist Athletes on the athletic department website. The site is currently being updated, however, it is up and running. The tennis team’s first match will be on Saturday, September 18 at the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. SCAD Atlanta shuttles will be taking students to the event.
