Eichorst Family Hosts, Entertains Student-Athletes

Randy York N-Sider

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As the world continues to turn in college athletics, leadership is critical and Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst is finding new ways to connect with Husker student-athletes and leaders who represent Nebraska Athletics on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), plus the major support groups that include a gender equity/diversity committee and an Inner Circle group.

Eichorst led off his monthly radio show on the Husker Sports Network Tuesday night with a three-minute description of a reception that he and his wife Kristin hosted the night before in their South Lincoln home. About 75 people attended the off-campus meeting, including members of SAAC, Nebraska’s Inner Circle group and the athletics management team.

The leadership groups represent 600 student-athletes. “Our SAAC team includes two or three leaders from each sport,” Eichorst said, explaining how the group meets regularly to discuss a number of topics that relate to a positive student-athlete experience.

“We talk about local issues, conference issues and national issues,” Eichorst told studio host Greg Sharpe. “It’s a terrific group, and we meet often at lunch and on Monday nights every month. In addition to academic and athletic-related issues, SAAC also leads student-athlete involvement in charitable events and community service efforts.

“They play a huge role and put in a lot of extra time,” Eichorst said, pointing out why he and his wife thought a change of pace on one of the year’s Monday night meetings would be fun and refreshing. “For a couple hours, we had fellowship and socialized,” Eichorst said. “I learned a lot.”

Nebraska's 2015-16 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members are the collective voice for all Husker student-athletes.

No Substitute for Staying Close, Communicating, Showing a Different Side

The evening celebrated a productive year and balanced work with leisure. “We get caught up in what we think is going on,” Eichorst said. “In the end, we’re not 18 to 21 anymore, as much as we would like to be. I love being around our kids and seeing them at the training table, at practice or on the road and meeting their parents.

“There is no substitute for staying close, communicating and showing a side to them that they don’t normally see,” Eichorst said. “They see me in more of an official role. To have them in our house and feel comfortable, you can talk about other things not associated with Nebraska and not associated with athletics.”

The opportunity gave Eichorst the opportunity to talk about “what’s going on in life and what their career aspirations are,” he said. “You don’t get a chance to do enough of that, but we’re committed to do more of it. It’s a special time when you can get together and just talk about life.”

Keith Zimmer, Nebraska’s senior associate athletics director for Life Skills and the N Club, described the opportunity as groundbreaking. “Our student-athlete leaders from SAAC and Inner Circle raved about their experience at the Eichorst residence,” Zimmer told me. “The invite and experience reinforced the importance of quality, genuine, caring relationships. Our student-athletes seemed to really enjoy a change in their routine and a break in their rigorous schedule. It was refreshing for them to get off-campus for an informal night. The experience continues to prove there’s no place like Nebraska.”

On a side note, Zimmer shared an observation at the Eichorst home. “The competitive nature of our student-athletes was still in full force,” he said. “They all enjoyed battling their fellow leaders and our administrators in what I would call fierce games of four square, ping pong and basketball.”

None of that would happen on the third floor of Memorial Stadium, the normal site for SAAC’s monthly meetings.

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