Inside the Huddle with TK LaFleur

TK LaFleur is the typical freshman.  Working through the adjustments from high school to college, LaFleur has relied on the support she has received through the many outlets at Nebraska for student-athletes to help her in adjusting to the everyday trials of a college freshman, hoping to improve in all aspects on and off the court.

 

Whether the Houston, Texas, native is struggling to overcome homesickness or the daunting task of keeping up with schoolwork while juggling practices and film sessions, LaFleur has taken advantage of the HewitAcademicCenter's options, whether she needs a tutor to help her chemistry class or just a quiet place to study.  She is also taking the academic success course at Nebraska that teaches incoming freshmen how to study for college courses and learn in a way that will help them succeed at the collegiate level. 

 

Based on Nebraska's track record of academic success, including a nation-leading 226 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, a nation-leading 15 NCAA Top Eight Award winners and a Big 12-leading 93 percent exhausted eligibility rate, Nebraska's dedication to academic excellence is clear.    

 

“The difference between high school and college academics is that you have to apply what you know and not just memorize facts,” LaFleur said. “I think a lot of freshmen struggle with that because in high school you can just regurgitate what you're teacher says and you'll get a 100 percent.  You can't do that here or you will fail.”

 

LaFleur considers herself somewhat lucky because there isn't much time for her to be lonely and homesick with all the demand on her time.  Time management is another aspect LaFleur is improving.  She has learned to take advantage of the small windows of time she has to take care of the little things in her life.  It's a little trick she has learned from Director of Basketball Operations Angela Timmons.  Timmons is in charge of monitoring academic success and provides a resource inside the women's basketball program to help freshmen adjust to college life.

 

“As far as academics and basketball are concerned, I believe that TK has adjusted to the new demands as many freshmen do,” Timmons said. “Her class load is much more difficult than she experienced in high school.  It took her a while to realize how much more time and effort she needs to put into her studying in comparison to what she used to do.  TK has continued to get better on the court – she is an avid listener and she tries to put what the coaches tell her into practice.  The coaches have been pleased with her progress.” 

 

Coach Connie Yori recognizes that freshmen are typically overwhelmed, especially in the first semester, so she has done everything to make sure LaFleur and fellow freshman Kelsey Griffin are taking full advantage of the resources offered to them.  Yori said what helps LaFleur the most is her coachability, focus and desire for improvement.

 

Yori also sees players like LaFleur who are athletically gifted struggle with the adjustment of rising into a level of competition where they are no longer the top talent.  But with LaFleur averaging 5.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, this isn't a problem for her.  Yori credits Nebraska's strong commitment to excellence on and off the court for LaFleur's smooth adjustment.

 

“I think our support system is the best in the country in all facets,” Yori said. “If you look at the help our kids have academically through our academic assistance program, we keep a really good eye on our student-athletes in the classroom, especially when they are younger.  Our support system allows for them to get help from a tutorial standpoint anytime they need it.  In addition, we have a lot of people who keep an eye on her.  We have someone in our program specifically to keep track of our kids' academics.  Angela Timmons does that for us.  We talk to our kids a lot.  We see them every day.  TK is probably getting tired of us asking her how it's going.  We see them all the time and even if its two minutes before practice, we're asking them if they are ready for their test and how are they doing.  I think our kids are more likely to do well because there are so many people who are on top of them about things.”

 

There is little concern for LaFleur mostly because Yori knows it's all part of the game.

 

“Pretty much every freshman I have ever coached has gone through a period in their first semester being homesick and overwhelmed,” Yori said. “TK kind of went through that and she's doing a great job of bouncing back.  I think she's going to be just fine.”