2008 Woodie Awards
Walk-on athletes make strong contributions to team success
By Adam Brewer
Rocket Sports Editor
Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Sports
Senior running back Josh Kniess, sophomore guard Corey Nesser, sophomore sprinter Gerald Christian, junior blocker Katie Greco, sophomore defensive tackle Clint Forsha and junior guard Pete Craig, are names you might have heard of, while others you may have not.
However, all of them do have something in common: they are all walk-on athletes at Slippery Rock University.
What exactly is a walk-on athlete? Well, the best definition is an athlete who tries out for a sport, and plays or practices with the team while receiving no athletic funding or any additional financial aid support.
A walk-on can be somebody on the practice team, someone who cheers on the bench, or somebody who comes out of nowhere and eventually leads a team.
"We always encourage anybody to try out for a sport and to try to walk-on," Athletic Director Paul Lueken said. "Actually a walk-on athlete is hard to describe, because they are different for each sport. They receive no athletic funding, and managing between a sport and classes is a hard thing to do."
According to the NCAA Web site, Division II sports have more walk-ons than both Division I and Division III schools.
Around SRU, each sport has walk-ons. In most cases, if these walk-ons are successful for their teams, they will receive financial funding from the school during their junior and senior years.
Each sport has a different try-out process and each team has a set number of walk-ons they can pick per season. A walk-on is allowed on the team by either having a good coach evaluation or by just going up to a coach and asking to be on the team.
"We definitely welcome any walk-on because we always want more people on our team," track coach John Papa said. "If they can pass the screening and the physical then we would like to see them in practice immediately."
For indoor track and outdoor track, SRU is allowed 30 men and 50 men, respectively, for each sport. For cross country, SRU is allowed to have 15 men on the team. For women in indoor and outdoor track and cross country, there is no limitation.
However, all of them do have something in common: they are all walk-on athletes at Slippery Rock University.
What exactly is a walk-on athlete? Well, the best definition is an athlete who tries out for a sport, and plays or practices with the team while receiving no athletic funding or any additional financial aid support.
A walk-on can be somebody on the practice team, someone who cheers on the bench, or somebody who comes out of nowhere and eventually leads a team.
"We always encourage anybody to try out for a sport and to try to walk-on," Athletic Director Paul Lueken said. "Actually a walk-on athlete is hard to describe, because they are different for each sport. They receive no athletic funding, and managing between a sport and classes is a hard thing to do."
According to the NCAA Web site, Division II sports have more walk-ons than both Division I and Division III schools.
Around SRU, each sport has walk-ons. In most cases, if these walk-ons are successful for their teams, they will receive financial funding from the school during their junior and senior years.
Each sport has a different try-out process and each team has a set number of walk-ons they can pick per season. A walk-on is allowed on the team by either having a good coach evaluation or by just going up to a coach and asking to be on the team.
"We definitely welcome any walk-on because we always want more people on our team," track coach John Papa said. "If they can pass the screening and the physical then we would like to see them in practice immediately."
For indoor track and outdoor track, SRU is allowed 30 men and 50 men, respectively, for each sport. For cross country, SRU is allowed to have 15 men on the team. For women in indoor and outdoor track and cross country, there is no limitation.
