A day for a Sun Devil athlete is either busy or hectic.
Squeezing in full practices and weights while staying on top of homework and classes isn’t easy. Add on 40 hours of student teaching, and it’s almost impossible. But ASU senior tennis player Kelcy McKenna makes it look easy.
Last semester, McKenna worked 40 hours a week as a student teacher and practiced without her teammates. She was still able to win two tennis tournaments.
While the tennis team was practicing on the courts every afternoon, McKenna was doing her student teaching in a fifth grade classroom at Tempe’s Waggoner Elementary.
In her last university-required teaching course, McKenna also spent up to 15 hours a week outside the classroom planning lessons and grading papers.
“You think you know what you’re getting into because you know what a day in the life of a teacher is from interning with them before, but you don’t know the amount of energy it takes,” McKenna said.
Every day after student teaching, McKenna would arrive at the ASU Whiteman Tennis Center around 4:30 p.m. to find that her teammates had already left.
She only saw her teammates at Saturday practices or at the tournaments she played in.
McKenna had daily individual practices with ASU coach Sheila McInerney and assistant coach Clint Letcher, who were supportive of McKenna’s goal of achieving her teaching degree.
“Clint and Sheila would hit with me until 6:30 p.m.,” McKenna said. “The time I was on the court I tried to get the most out of it that I could.”
After hitting with her coaches, McKenna had to find time to go to the gym and lift weights before traveling home to prepare her lesson plans for school the next day.
“Trying to squeeze in tennis and working out was definitely a challenge,” McKenna said, “And making sure I had enough time to sleep.”
Solo practices didn’t stop McKenna from playing at her best in the few tournaments she could compete in.
When McKenna had the opportunity to play at the tournaments, she gave 100 percent of her effort while on the court.
“When she was on the court it was her reprieve,” McInerney said. “She was free from the stress of school.”
In September, McKenna won the ITA Gold Singles Championship title at the Cal Nike Invitational. In November, she also took home the singles championship title at the 2010 ASU Thunderbird Invitational.
Although balancing academics and tennis is difficult, it is something McInerney expects from her team.
“We bring in good kids and put them in an environment where academics is a definite priority, and good things happen,” McInerney said.
ASU has consistently produced hardworking athletes. The University is ranked among the top 20 in Division I Athletics for the number of Academic All-American athletes it has had since 2000, according to the Sun Devil athletic department.
With 48 Academic All-Americans since 2000, ASU ranks No. 2 in the Pac-10, just behind Stanford at 49.
Last season, McKenna was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team for a 3.81 GPA along with teammate Michelle Brycki, who had a 3.86 GPA.
The tennis team has received perfect annual Academic Progress Rate scores since the APR was instituted by the NCAA in 2003-2004.
The APR tracks individual student-athletes to give a sense of how successful each team is academically. Factors that affect the APR score include eligibility, retention and graduation.
The women’s tennis team has the top score in the Pac-10 Conference with a perfect 1,000 points.
Ensuring her tennis players graduate has been a top priority for McInerney.
“Tennis has always had a good academic culture, and the athletic department has always stressed graduation,” McInerney said. “We have all the resources to help these kids succeed.”
According to McKenna, McInerney is extremely accommodating to the athletes’ test and study schedules.
“She always says you’re a student first and an athlete second,” McKenna said.
McKenna received her degree, has been reunited with her teammates and will attend team practices regularly in her final semester as a Sun Devil.
Reach the reporter at nklauss@asu.edu.
