The National Association of Athletic Academic Advisors (N4A) is a non-profit organization receiving funding from the NCAA to provide consulting services to intercollegiate athletic departments as it specifically relates to the APR.
The NWCA will bring in the N4A at its annual convention next week in Las Vegas. Among the services the NWCA and N4A will be bringing to the table are:
• Assist coaches in all collegiate divisions (even though APR only applies to D-I) to implement "best practices" for maintaining a high standard of academic integrity within their intercollegiate wrestling programs.
• Assist D-I coaches with specific strategies on how to improve their APR score.
• Assist coaches with the development of "APR Adjustment and Waiver" requests submitted to the NCAA.
• Be available to consult with all D-I wrestling coaches on an ongoing basis.
• Monitor the APR scores of D-I wrestling programs.
"We feel putting groups like the N4A right in front of our member coaches will have nothing but benefits for the APR numbers of our wrestling programs nationwide," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "We are particularly fortunate that one of the N4A's expert presenters at our Convention, Mark Gumble, was a very successful head wrestling coach at Binghamton University prior to becoming the Director of Athletic Academic Advising & Student Services at Central Florida University. His understanding of the wrestling culture makes him a valuable resource in our efforts to improve wrestling's APR."
"At the Division I and III levels, the NCAA requires a member institution to only sponsor six men's sports (on most campuses, football and basketball will be two of them). At the Division II level, it's just five men's sports. Our member coaches need to make sure their teams rank among the top 5 or 6 men's sports on their respective campuses if we are to ensure the future of our sport," said Moyer. "A big way to do this is not be a liability and make your wrestling program a beacon of academic success."
A prolonged APR ranking below the NCAA minimum standard of 925 can eventually lead to sanctions levied against the entire athletic department (of that particular wrestling program).
"Consequently, we can't take anything for granted. It has to be our goal to elevate every intercollegiate wrestling program above the 925 NCAA minimum APR standard," said Moyer.
While the APR is only a Division I issue at the moment, coaches from other divisions are encouraged to attend, since there is constant movement across divisions.
"It's important for a coach from a non Division I wrestling coach to understand the nuances of the APR. First, it is a prerequisite to moving up to a Division I job," said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. "Secondly, adhering to the guiding principles of the APR will ensure a wrestling program at any level maintains a high retention and graduation rate."
The NWCA also hopes the expanded educational resources offered by the N4A will help alleviate misconceptions and misunderstandings about the APR.
"It's a very misunderstood piece of legislation," explained Moyer. "It has its critics, but it's here and we have to work within the regulations of it, every sport does, so we want to make sure our wrestling coaches are on the cutting edge of that informational curve."
"Could schools have applied for waivers and avoided sanctions? Are there things brought up in the APR that weren't caught on a school's compliance end? These are things we all should know before any APR number comes out, so we can not only protect our programs, but entrench them as well."
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling.
The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.
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