Griz earn NSCAA Team Academic Award
12/13/2013 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Dec. 13, 2013
Here's an exercise in futility (but a fun one): Ask Montana soccer coach Mark Plakorus if he'd rather have a team that annually makes the Big Sky Conference tournament or one that every year receives the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Team Academic Award.
Great on the field or great in the classroom? One or the other. At least in this regard, Plakorus is super greedy and totally unwilling to deal in hypotheticals. "I want both. Every year." And he's almost had both. Every year.
His first two teams at Montana, in 2011 and 2012, made the four-team Big Sky tournament. Both also advanced to the championship match, with his 2011 team making the program's first NCAA tournament since 2000.
His 2013 team, maybe the Big Sky's hottest team at the end of the season, started league play slowly, tied for sixth place and missed last month's postseason, but the Grizzlies haven't shown any signs of letting up in their academic pursuits.
Montana recently received the 2013 NSCAA Team Academic Award, the third time Plakorus's squad has received the honor in his three seasons coaching the Grizzlies.
Plakorus's teams have now accounted for half of the 20-year-old program's NSCAA academic awards. Prior to 2011, Montana received the award in 1998, 2007 and 2010.
Montana, which had a team GPA of 3.43 for the fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters, the terms that marked the award's parameters, was one of just five Big Sky Conference teams recognized by the NSCAA, along with Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and Portland State.
"We tell our players all the time that being a student-athlete isn't just about playing ball," Plakorus said. "Ultimately you're here to get your degree.
"As much as we want to compete for championships and help them become the best soccer players they can be, it's more important that they get their degree. That's what prepares them for what life has in front of them when they graduate. That's what helps set them up to be successful down the road."
Montana earned the 2011 award with a team GPA of 3.23. The 2012 award came with a 3.26 team GPA.
