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12 CAVALIER CORNER BY JIM DAVES W hen Virginia athletics di- rector Carla Williams an- nounced her ambitious Master Plan fundraising campaign highlighted by physical improvements to the athletic depart- ment's structural footprint, the most striking visuals were the architectural renderings and drawings. They showed a bright new future for UVA athletics with facilities that would help the department grow and succeed for future generations. One critical component of the Athletics Master Plan was not represented in those col- orful sketches, yet it might have the biggest and longest-lasting impact of all. It is a program — and more importantly a dream — conceptualized by Williams to help student-athletes identify their goals and interests, grow as leaders and excel outside of sports. It is known as the Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics. Its foundation is grounded by five areas: academic achievement, leadership develop- ment, personal development, career develop- ment and community engagement. None of these are new or unique concepts, but blending them together and getting stu- dent-athletes to actively engage in program- ming to enhance their skills in these areas is the ultimate goal for the program. "The NCAA has promoted these five key areas for decades," Williams said. "It is up to each institution to determine how best to implement the programming. Making sure our student-athletes have a holistic experience is a core value for Virginia athletics." To accomplish that, Williams turned to Ted White, UVA's deputy athletics director for strategic advancement, to lead the project. "It's simple, really," said White, whose son is a pitcher for the Michigan baseball team. "We believe in the scholar-athlete ideal. Stu- dent-athletes choose UVA because they want a world-class education and a world-class competitive experience. "We want each of them to have a chance to create the best possible versions of them- selves. In order for that to happen, we knew we had to connect them directly to the incred- ibly passionate and talented people that make up UVA and Charlottesville and get out of the way." The program started with in-person experi- ences for UVA's student-athletes, but White knew he needed something to spark the in- volvement of the more than 750 team mem- bers on Grounds. That's where "Pathways" was born. It is a web-based program that allows Cavalier student-athletes to customize their interests, goals and preferences. It focuses on academics, career opportunities, community service, leadership and personal interests to create a "path" for student-athletes to pursue. The web tool, though, was just the starting point. UVA staff spent the past year developing relationships and contacts that allow student- athletes, based on their Pathways profiles and assessments, to maximize the resources tied to the University. "We know our student-athletes are naturally competitive, and we want to make sure they are well prepared and positioned to compete in the market, as well, once their playing ca- reers are over," Williams said. "We are com- mitted to making sure we provide exceptional programming and education in career, per- sonal and leadership development, as well as an emphasis on community outreach and academic achievement." Pathways tracks a student-athlete's progress with benchmarks and experiences, and pres- ents opportunities to connect to programs and individuals of interest. It also allows student- athletes to identify and catalog transferable skills and start building personal networks. If they elect to change any element, Pathways creates new options for them. It grows in step with the individual student-athlete. "It is about customization and active en- gagement," White said. "We are able to help each individual student-athlete find their pur- pose — or pathway, as we call it — and then help them plug into networks and high-impact opportunities around their passions." "[Pathways] has definitely broadened my view of the University community," said Re- becca Skoler, a first-year on the UVA women's golf team. "It is a great way to get involved outside of the athletics department. I think it is an excellent resource that can be tailored to each student-athlete's interests and goals. "I have loved being able to use Pathways PREPARING 'AMAZING CITIZENS' 'Pathways' Creates Unique Opportunities For UVA's Student-Athletes The Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics was developed by UVA athletics director Carla Williams to help student-athletes identify their goals and interests, grow as leaders and excel outside of sports. PHOTO COURTESY UVA