Santa Monica College Resources Available For Student Athletes
Santa Monica College (SMC) is home to 16 sports teams, 30,000 students, and a variety of student-athletes with various backgrounds. From basketball players to swimmers, student-athletes could always use guidance during their careers one way, or another. SMC has the necessities for their athletes to succeed, in and out of the classroom. Coaches, staff members, and athletic directors do all they can for athletes to get to the next level and pursue their careers.
According to Lydia Ayala, SMC’s Assistant Athletic Director, “One of the biggest advantages our student-athletes have is priority enrollment. This allows students to have flexibility and time to schedule around games, travel and practice times. This is one of the biggest advantages for our athletes.” She went on to say, “We provide them with two counselors... they are required to meet with the counselors at least three times a semester [three touches]. The counselors create a comprehensive Ed Plan [education plan] for one year which provides them with some sort of plan even if they transfer. In their meetings they discuss their academics or athletics which they get guidance for when they want to transfer.”
As far as mental health, many of these athletes struggle with balance, which can lead to unhealthy and unstable conditions. The staff at SMC takes these issues seriously, and has created an open and proactive environment for the student athletes. “Constantly referring students to our Mental Health Department. We are also working on getting a kiosk like we have in our services building. This will provide students with the support that they need directly in the athletic department,” says Ayala. She went on to say, “We currently have workshops but we are definitely trying to expand our workshops for students dealing with domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other mental health issues.”
SMC does not provide any athletic scholarships for athletes due to CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) regulations, but when coaches are looking into potential student-athletes, they make sure there is a full financial understanding. Ayala stated, “We work with the financial aid department and students by helping them fill out their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). We help them understand all the costs on top of the out of state tuition, which we understand can get pricey here." This gives student-athletes the full support needed to make sure they have the applicable financial resources.
SMC has great resources that are available for student-athletes. “We have great academics and have coaches that want to see our athletes succeed. Our students have an understanding that academics is number one. Facilitating that and having an environment with support is what I think is a great attraction to Santa Monica,” Ayala expressed. There is an outstanding variety of assistance made available by campus staff which can be heavily taken advantage of by student-athletes at SMC.