It was more than 20 years ago that the University of Debrecen set up its sport strategy program including long-term goals to create competitive sport opportunities for ordinary students. At the same time, it also offered chances for elite level athletes to obtain an academic degree. Frankly, the latter is not easy at all to do in the hustle and bustle of daily practice, regular competitions and intensive training camps.
- I was appointed Vice-Rector for Education at a time when a steadily growing number of elite athletes were enrolled at our university. These students require special treatment in that they need to introduce some sort of order in their lives, regardless of their abilities. The university may not be able to provide that because of its academic constraints. Normally, practice schedules, competitions and class attendance are not in harmony. Therefore, it seemed quite obvious to me that we needed to create the necessary conditions institutionally to give these students a regulated system of benefits that in turn would help them make their studies, their preparation and their timetables a little bit more flexible – said András Jávor, the founder of the mentoring program, which was introduced back in 2014.
The professor added that, as a matter of course, the academic requirements have not been modified, so the athletes now have to perform the same way as any other student, yet their class attendance and deadline requirements are more flexible.
- We consulted instructors, deans, professors, associate professors and assistant professors to ask them to play a part in coaching an athlete and provide a safe back-up in case doing sport prevents the latter from attending any lecture or exam. The majority of the teaching staff were happy to do so straight away, as we all shared the feeling that the success of the mentored athletes was to some extent ours, too – said András Jávor.
As a general rule, the mentees are supported in their studies by a mentor and a tutor, whom they regularly consult. The mentor also constantly monitors the progress of his or her mentored student, whereas the tutor, who majors in the same field as the athlete him or herself, is responsible for helping with the appropriate day-to-day knowledge to satisfy the academic requirements.
This program became immediately popular with elite student athletes. During the first year of its introduction, more than ten individuals signed up, including Olympic champion swimmer Éva Risztov, who continues to stay in touch with Professor Jávor to this day.
- There was an instance when I accompanied Éva Risztov to her exam, because I knew that, if I was not there with her, she would not even dare take it, since she was so much afraid that she would not pass. Nonetheless, she came through with flying colors in the end. Now, these personal relationships are the most important aspects of this program, and they oftentimes turn into real friendships, as it did happen in our case, too – revealed András Jávor, who is proud that several of his mentees, including five-time Hungarian ice-hockey champion Zoltán Hetényi and successful épéeist Kata Mihály, are at present working to earn their doctoral degrees.
Currently, there are as many as 34 students participating in the program, majoring in 14 academic fields and representing 16 branches of sports. Most of them are enrolled at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Debrecen. Thus, it is no surprise that the Dean of this Faculty herself also mentors several athletes.
- One of my mentees is Gergő Mihalik, a hockey player for DEAC, who has just become a Hungarian national team player recently. Olympic runner Luca Kozák and the players of the men's basketball team of DEAC, Botond Flasár, Ákos Kovács, Róbert Ságodi and Ádám Várszegi all study economics, just like DVSE water polo players Tibor Pónya and Attilais Mihov. The full-time students have their own study schedules tailored specifically for them, which would not necessarily require them to attend classes. Nevertheless, they do go to as many lectures and seminar classes as possible between training practice sessions and competitions. The most important aspect is that I provide individual attention and support either in their study schedule organization, time management or even motivation. We consult them before the start of each semester about signing up for courses and we also discuss the scheduling of their exams together. I also help them to develop effective learning strategies and a solution-oriented approach to challenges. However, the joy of my mentees after passing an exam is always the best motivation for me, too – said Veronika Fenyves.
Most elite athletes have chosen some sort of program in sports science and physical culture, such as physical education, sports economics or sports organization. An example would be two-time Olympic water polo champion Tamás Varga, who is now a source of pride for his former mentor also because of his academic achievements.
- Tamás has chosen to do research on water polo for his thesis and he has conducted interviews with some of the Hungarian legends of this branch of sports, including Dénes Kemény and Tamás Kásás. His research was particularly notable and I managed to persuade him to participate in the local round of TDK (Tudományos Diákköri Konferencia) [Scientific Student Circle Conference] held at the level of our faculty, where he also qualified for the national competition, called OTDK. His achievement was very impressive, because he was awarded special prizes at both levels, but the most memorable experience was the way this great sports star, already in his forties, was both nervous and excited at the academic competition. As he put it, he was much more edgy than before a big sports final – said Professor Éva Bácsné Bába, Deputy Dean and Head of DE GTK Sportgazdasági és -menedzsment Intézet [Institute of Sports Economics and Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business, UD], who was also the thesis supervisor for another Olympic champion, speed skater Liu Shaoang (Ádó).
- We had to consult with Ádo online because he was in Beijing at that time. Because of the time difference, he was just enjoying an evening off exactly when the consultation had been scheduled, strolling around the city with his fellow athletes. So he walked into an internet café, as he could not miss such an important appointment, and we held the consultation while the rest of his team waited outside for us to finish. Stories like this could serve as ample proof that these elite athletes do want to prove themselves also in terms of academic achievement – said the professor.
The majority of the top athletes at UD are interested in economics, but there are also dieticians, hydro-biologists and several physiotherapy majors among them.
- Each year, there are quite a few students among those specializing in physiotherapy who are not only committed to physical activity but are also actively involved in sports. Elite performance in sports requires a lot of preparation time, but our program also contains a number of practical classes that mandate physical presence. These time commitments are often difficult for students to juggle but, with flexible teaching staff support, they can always be successfully achieved. I am glad to help solve this, because I take it to heart that good student athletes should also be successful in their studies. In addition, these athletes often suffer injuries from overwork, which gives them the individual experience to become even better physiotherapists or rehabilitation specialists – said Ilona Veres-Balajti, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Debrecen, who is currently the mentor of several students.
Other mentors include the two Deputy Deans of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Professor Krisztina Dajnoki and Associate Professor László Erdey. Mentoring responsibilities at this faculty are also taken by Professor Anetta Éva Müller, Associate Professor Christa Pfau, Associate Professor András Fehér and Assistant Professor Eszter Tóth. Moreover, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Professor Ferenc Kun as well as Associate Professor Andrea Lenténé Puskás and Director of the Institute for Sports Science Coordination László Balogh are also always happy to take on such a challenge.
- I regard it very important to prove that being a university student and performing at the top level of international sports do not cancel each other out. On the contrary, they indeed support one another. Our mentoring program is mostly about this, and it is an honor to be part of it. Most students do not abuse this opportunity, but make the most of it. I wish to highlight the case of handballer Petra Vámos, who, even after her transfer from DVSC to Metz in France, has been and is still doing her best to remain a student of the University of Debrecen, which is in the top 2 percent of the world, and to complete her studies here – said László Balogh.
The basic principle of the dual career model is that athletes should be successful not only in sports but also in school and in their private lives. The mentoring program available at the University of Debrecen gives them an opportunity to find this balance, which also helps lay the foundations for their future in the long run.
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