As a student-athlete at PSU we are not part of the athletic department or a team, we are part of a family. From day one of the recruiting process, to your on-campus visit, to your first day as a Panther, you are part of something greater than yourself. Below are just ten things that you will see on an average day as a PSU student-athlete and as part of this wonderful athletic community here at PSU.
- When walking into the PE Center you often feel like you’re walking into your second home and not “the gym.” You can hear OC and Lauren in the front office laughing or greeting others with the classic OC, “HEYYYYY, what’s up buddy?” followed by a fist bump, of course.
- Walking the halls of the PE Center you will get asked at least ten times, “Have you seen Mark?” because someone either needs their ankle taped or a heart-to-heart talk.
- Along with Mark, our head athletic trainer, you will find many other athletic trainers in the building who are among the most caring and compassionate people on this campus. Personally, I went through a rough season my sophomore year with two concussions, and without our amazing athletic trainers I don’t know what I would have done. They helped me make neurology appointments, supported me in my academics, and so much more. So, thank you, Natalie and Mark especially, for helping me regain my confidence and get back on the volleyball court.
- You’ll find our amazing athletic director, Kim Bownes, somewhere in the athletic buildings. Kim will do anything to make her student-athletes feel part of a family including having teams over to her house for end of the year banquet, cheering on the sidelines, or painting a Panther head in the stairwell where players enter Foley Gym.
- Our coaches are always supporting us. Whether it is teaching a class, going to coach’s house for team dinner, congratulating you on a win, or just sitting down to ask you how you are, they always have our backs.
- As student-athletes we learn the importance of giving back through community service like the Plymouth Parade, Circle Trot, and other various events in the community.
- On an average day, you will see professors at our athletic events. Our professors are some of our biggest fans and will bring their friends and families to support us.
- As student-athletes, you get to know everyone’s family. Your coach or athletic trainer’s kids and family can often be found in the stands at games or at practice helping keep score during scrimmages. You will also get to know your teammate’s families as they will treat you like their own child and might even claim you as their own during family weekend when your family can’t make it.
- You will also see our fantastic sports information team, Dan and Chris, making sure that all our statistics are properly recorded and our families back home can livestream the games.
- Lastly, you will see fellow student-athletes who also understand the high expectations of being a student-athlete and the privilege it is to wear green and white on a Saturday. You will see them in the PE Center, on the ice, on the field, on the track, and in the classroom. No matter where you go at PSU, you will always see a familiar face and have someone to remind you that at the end of the day that you are special, smart, successful, and part of the athletic department family
Kennedy Mang is a junior and a three-year member of the Plymouth State Volleyball program. Kennedy is an interdisciplinary studies student majoring and psychological sciences and minoring in coaching. Kennedy is from Livonia, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, and is a huge Detroit Red Wings, Tigers, and Lions fan. On campus, Kennedy also works for the Athletic Department and Residential Life and also serves as a Head Coach in the Lakes Region Juniors Volleyball Club.