University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Players Work Hard - On and Off - the Court
11/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | UConn Club
STORRS, Conn. -- Rodney Purvis rolls his eyes when he's asked how he juggles the dual responsibilities of being a student and one of the best basketball players on one of the top Division I teams in the country.
"Everybody thinks because we are UConn basketball players that we are taken care of academically. Nothing could be further from the truth," said the 21-year-old junior shooting guard, who is a Communications major.
"Yes, we do get some tutoring help,'' added Purvis, 6-feet-4 and 205 pounds. "But the responsibilities of being both a student and an athlete are challenging, time-wise. We aren't spoiled. We work hard - on the basketball court and in the classroom.''
Purvis, whose Liberal Arts education is supported by scholarship money from former UConn center Peter Lind, '50, and his wife Carolyn, said the role of student can be particularly tough during the season "when the travelling we do can really take a toll.''
"It (being a student-athlete) definitely has its pros and cons,'' reiterated Purvis, who comes from Raleigh, North Carolina. "But, it's a challenge I'm up to.''
"Rodney is doing a phenomenal job handling what you have to do as a student and athlete, and that means being a student first,'' said UConn coach Kevin Ollie. "His time management has been excellent, always on time, whether it's at a class, or for a workout, or at a meeting. He enjoys the interaction with his teammates, but also with the campus community.
"We of course want elite players in our program,'' Ollie continued, "but we also want elite people and that's exactly what Rodney has been.''
Student-athletes are no different than "regular'' students. The need for scholarship support to keep attracting the top recruits to UConn has never been higher.
As the cost of tuition continues to rise, private support is more essential than ever for the success of UConn's 24 varsity sports and more than 700 student-athletes. What also sometimes is forgotten is that UConn student-athletes continue to excel, as more than 50% earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
In the 2014-15 academic year, $14 million was paid by the Athletic Department in tuition costs, as 216 athletes received partial scholarships and 196 received full scholarships. That cost will be going up this year.
UConn's championship success has been achieved in large part due to the continued generosity of donors, season ticket holders, alumni and friends who annually support UConn Athletics.
This year, a new fundraising initiative is being launched - "Drive for 5K'' - with a goal of increasing the number of contributors from 4,400 to 5,000.
The "Drive for 5K'' comes at the same time the UConn Foundation is in the midst of its "Transforming Lives'' fundraising initiative that aims to double the amount of financial support - including merit and need-based scholarships - that the Foundation raises for the benefit of the UConn student body.
There are tangible benefits to making a donation to the UConn athletic program. A gift enrolls a donor in The UConn Club and provides priority seating and parking privileges at Husky games, invitations to special events, tax benefits and exclusive benefits associated with membership.
Peter Lind said he and his wife are glad to support athletes such as Rodney with scholarship money.
"UConn basketball has been an important part of my life,'' Lind said. "I am more than happy to do whatever I can to help maintain the excellence that the program has become known for.''
Lind was a center for the UConn Huskies from 1948-1950 and his name was on the UConn Basketball All-Century Ballot. He was an All-Yankee Conference First Team selection in 1949-1950 when he was the team's top rebounder. Peter was also the top scorer in his junior year, and co-captain of the team coached by Hugh Greer, his senior year.
"Playing for Coach Greer and UConn was one of the highlights of my life,'' Lind said. "The (basketball) program back then wasn't quite what it is today, but we were kind of planting the seeds.''
Peter graduated from UConn in 1950 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Industrial Management. In 1953, he began his professional career at Aetna Insurance Company in Hartford and he worked his way up to a vice president position at the company. After 35 years of service, he retired in 1987.
Peter has remained very active at UConn, at different times serving as president of the Alumni Association, president of the UConn Club and as a member of the UConn Foundation.
He and Carolyn reside in West Hartford.
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