"UMBC is dedicated to promoting a positive relationship between the community and our athletic programs, and we want to encourage young people to value and appreciate education through athletics."

UMBC: Tiffany, you are a pretty long way from your home in Encinitas, California. What attracted you to UMBC?

TD: I really wanted to play field hockey in school and UMBC offered a great opportunity. Also, as a political science major, being close to the nation's capital was great. I'd never been to the east coast, and I was looking to travel and get away from home. When I came and visited UMBC, they had a great political science program and a great environment. Everyone was really welcoming so it made the decision very easy.

UMBC: How do you describe UMBC to your friends back in California?

TD: A lot of people get confused between Maryland [College Park] and UMBC. I explain to them that UMBC is smaller and has the benefits of a small school - you know a lot of people, you see a lot of people you know, you have a lot of people in the same classes as you go through your major, classes are small, professors are committed and willing to work with you. Stuff like that.

UMBC: What has your experience as a student-athlete been like?

TD: I definitely have to say that they don't make exceptions for you as an athlete! They expect you to be a student first and an athlete second. You are expected to get and maintain good grades. There are great programs that work with athletes who need to improve their study skills, but it is your responsibility to become a better student if you are having trouble. Coaches also have study time on away trips because they know you are a student as well as an athlete and that you can't spend the entire time talking game strategy.

UMBC: How have you learned to balance athletics and academics?

TD: I work really hard to manage my time as efficiently as possible. If we have a stressful week and we have to practice, I may have to study into the night whereas I'd normally study during the day. I use my time as well as I can, doing things like working on the bus while we're on the road.

UMBC: Who else do you play in your league?

TD: We play several major state universities - Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as Boston University, Northeastern and the University of Albany. The traveling is very strenuous and it is much tougher competition - Northeastern was ranked ninth this year by the NCAA and Boston University was ranked 20th, so it's definitely tough competition.

UMBC: How long is your season? Do you train in the off-season?

TD: Our season is the fall, usually the end of August to early November. During the winter, we'll usually lift three times a week and run twice a week. In the spring we have a spring season when we play a couple games and tournaments and we also practice a couple times a week, run and lift. Then in the summer we run and lift as well. There's very little off-season when we're not doing anything whatsoever. Usually, we are always working with a strength and conditioning coach or running to stay in shape.

UMBC: You are involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. What is that?

TD: The Student-Athlete Advisory Council works to bridge the gap between student-athletes and the administration, both the athletic department and the general administration. We go there to voice our concerns, be it about facilities or if a team doesn't feel like they get enough time. Generally we've been working within the athletic department to raise more money to improve facilities or get things that would bring student-athletes together more as a group. We're working now to sell Nalgene bottles to make money and try to redo one of the rooms within the student athletic center to make it a place where people can hang out.

UMBC: Why do you think it is important to have a group like this?

TD: I think it's really helpful because it really unifies concerns and it puts those that are important to the forefront. It gets voices that might not usually have been heard, heard. You have two members from each team so no voice goes unheard ­ it's not just the big sports getting the attention. We even have people included from the dance team and the band. It makes sure the administration hears their concerns.

UMBC: Lisa, UMBC's student-athletes are also very involved with community service. What exactly is the Athletics Community Outreach Program?

LG: UMBC is dedicated to promoting a positive relationship between the community and our athletic programs, and we want to encourage young people to value and appreciate education through athletics. The Athletics Community Outreach Program engages student-athletes in a variety of activities that focus on emotional well-being, personal growth and decision-making skills for youth. The program was developed in 1993 and is made possible by funding from CitiFinancial.

UMBC: What are the benefits of this program to both the athletes and the community?

LG: Through the Athletics Community Outreach programs, student athletes are encouraged to develop positive habits and skills that lead to success, while encouraging adolescents to succeed and promote higher education for success in their later years. It also promotes academic excellence and emphasizes character skills such as values, commitment, discipline and civic-mindedness.

UMBC: What sort of community work do these athletes do and how long are they involved at a particular activity?

LG: UMBC Athletics Community Outreach programs include team service projects: 90 percent of the UMBC coaches and teams visit local schools and community agencies and provide a one-hour presentation and mini sports clinic. Each year, we reach more than 1,000 elementary and middle school students through these presentations, which emphasize the importance of doing well in school, setting goals and living a healthy lifestyle.

There also are individual service projects, like the You Can Make a Difference mentoring program with Catonsville Middle School, which is in its tenth year. This program pairs a UMBC student-athlete with a middle school student on a one-to-one basis to assist in academic areas of need, one hour per week for one semester. Through this mentoring and tutorial program, student-athletes lend their talents and experiences to encourage students to work hard, set goals, find solutions to their problems and follow their dreams into the future.

Another program in its tenth year is the Maryland Council for Special Equestrians program at the Patapsco Horse Center. Our student-athletes assist trainers in horseback riding activities for children with disabilities. Riders learn basic horseback riding and gain physical fitness, self esteem and enhance their socialization and communication skills.

Other new programs, such as the Little Champs program, match student-athletes with level-five students at a local elementary school. Each year the Athletic Community Outreach Program also hosts 100 middle school students for the Leader Recruiting Leaders workshop in which the middle schoolers spend a day on campus with student-athletes to get a glimpse of college life.

UMBC: Tiffany, what sort of community outreach work are you doing?

TD: Right now, I'm really focused on the Make a Difference mentoring program with Catonsville Middle School. I've done smaller things in the past with my team where we spend an hour with at-risk youth to talk to them about goals and stuff, but this mentoring program is one-on-one once a week. I meet with a student who has trouble in school and maybe a little bit out of school and just work to improve her study skills and tell her the importance of setting and achieving goals.

In the beginning it was tough, getting her comfortable with me. And at times I really challenge her. If she has homework, we'll do that and just make sure it gets done. Sometime she'll say, ŒJust tell me the answer,' and I have to say, 'No, you need to know this,' and I make her participate and find the answers herself.

UMBC: I'm sure you don't have to give this time to this program. What about it appeals to you?

TD: As cheesy as it sounds, I like helping people. It's great to work with kids and it's really rewarding. The fall semester ended, so technically our mentoring is up and I asked her if she wanted me to come back and mentor her some more and she said yes. That's just one of the greatest things. It's fun being with her and it allows me to see what's important when I'm frustrated with school. What's really difficult in her life is much more important than what's going on in mine.

UMBC: Lisa, about how many athletes are involved in outreach and about how many volunteer hours do their efforts account for?

LG: Over 250 student-athletes participate in either a team service project or an individual service project. That's 75 percent of all student-athletes per year accumulating over 2,700 hours of time given back to the community. Our goal is to have every student-athlete take advantage of this opportunity before they graduate.

UMBC: Tiffany, how do you impress upon new, younger athletes the importance of involvement in both the school and the community?

TD: We tell athletes how lucky they've been to have people behind them supporting them along the way. We ask them, ŒWhat if you didn't have those people? What if your parents weren't as supportive or weren't there? What would you do? Your life would be 100 times different. So take some time out to help these kids who don't have as strong as support system as you were able to have.'

UMBC: Tiffany, what are your plans for the future after UMBC?

TD: I'm looking to go to graduate school and get a master's degree in either public policy or international relations. I'd like to work within the government or work as a lobbyist - to be a civil servant and give back to the country. I've always been self-motivated and my parents have provided a very strong example of the importance of being involved in the community. They really stressed that you can't complain about situations and things that affect you if you're not willing to get out there and work to change them. I always thought that was important.