America's Most Popular Sports
Throughout the globe, soccer, or futbol, as it is often known, is the most popular, watched and followed form of athletics. Futbol fans fill up some of the largest stadiums in the world. This changes, however, once people enter the United States of America, where the globally-followed sport of soccer is rarely something sports fans spend their time watching. Baseball, American football and basketball are often considered the three major sports in the U.S.
Most Americans regard the sport of baseball as the nation's greatest and most revered pastime. The slow pace, one that often requires patience to watch, offers fans a leisure sport to watch and relax while enjoying the game. The often low scoring nature of the game is similar to that of soccer, though the game’s basics and fundamentals could not be more different.
American football could be considered the heavy favorite of the trio of sports. The tactical style of going through plays throughout the game is something that is simultaneously part athletic and part mental. The ruggedness of the sport is especially enjoyable to the fan who is pleased with the type of ongoing intensity.
Basketball could be the sport that challenges American football the most, at least in terms of favorability. The players who play the game of basketball are often considered some of the most athletic competitiors in the world. Basketball’s fast-paced style of play is often what the fans enjoy the most. With plenty of offense and nonstop action, it is easy to see why basketball is so beloved.
The Assistant Athletic Director of the University of Iowa, Mark Hankins Iowa, loves all kinds of sports. Though his favorite sport might be golf, he enjoys all the sports the nation has to offer.
Sources:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130718152549AAYGSLs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/10-reasons-i-love-futbol-_b_5613154.html
http://archive.hawkcentral.com/2014/08/05/hankins-switches-from-coaching-to-administration-at-iowa
Favorite Major Sports in the United States
In the United States of America today, football is considered to be one of the populace’s most favorite sports. The intensity of the American football fan is often second-to-none, and the allure of the game continues to attract fans from all over the country.
Baseball has often been considered to be the favorite pastime of the nation, as well as one of the top three major sports in the country.
Basketball is a fast-paced game composed of athletes often considered to be some of the most athletic players in the world, both at the collegiate and professional levels, respectively.
Fans will continually argue over which of these major sports are the absolute favorite in the United States. With each side putting forth what they consider to be a solid argument, one that outlines why they believe their favorite to be the best, there may never be a clear victor. This only means that the discussion of which sport is truly best may go on forever.
There is another sport that is on the rise in the U.S. Many people consider it to be big enough in popularity to call it one of the more popular and most followed sports in the country. The supporters of this sport are some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic fans in the sports universe. This sport has a rugged feel to it, much like football, as well as a fast-paced offense to defense transition like that of basketball. Putting basketball and football together would be hard for any athlete to accomplish, but in hockey, they do it while skating on ice.
Mark Hankins is the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. It is there that he has familiarized himself with a variety of sports that his university offers their students.
Eligibility in the National Collegiate Athletic Conference
The National Collegiate Athletic Conference does is best to help student-athletes graduate from their respective universities. This conference aim is for all of their student-athletes to successfully graduate from college, ergo the emphasis placed on the "student" portion of the student-athlete title. Though the student portion may often be overlooked by those in the field of athletics, NCAC guidelines continue to be in place, those that help to ensure that student-athletes take their schoolwork, and pursuit of their degree, seriously.
The major overriding guideline is known as eligibility. If a student-athlete is eligible to play their sport, then they are most likely in good standing in all of their classes and coursework, and are continuing to meet specific academic standards. For athletes attending a Division I school, the eligibility rules state that a student needs to have sixty percent of their coursework completed by the end of their second year, and eighty percent by the end of their fourth year.
More standards to be eligible to play at a Division I school include the following: a high school graduate, 400 minimum SAT score, and/or 37 on the ACT test. All students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in their sixteen core courses taken at the university.
Mark Hankins knows well the eligibility standards. He is the current Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. Always stressing the importance of academics to his athletes, Hankins is formerly the head coach of the men's golf team. His team earned a perfect eligibility score two years in a row.
Master of Business Administration Programs
A Master of Business Administration is a post-graduate degree that is internationally recognized, as well as one that teaches skills that are not limited to business. Many who pursue a career in management often choose a path that leads to achieving an MBA. Other career paths that an MBA can help to pave for a professional include those in government, the private sector, academia and a host of other professional options.
Typically, an MBA program consists of a core curriculum of a particular subject. Such subjects can include topics like accounting, economics, marketing, business operations and more. Included in these programs are many elective courses that are available for a student to take.
A student can develop their skills within a particular subject on a much deeper level through these elective courses, as well as to potentially explore another professional or personal interest. Many of these university-level programs require an internship be completed as a part of the educational experience. It is often through these internships that many students land their first job, which often occurs soon after completion of the MBA program.
Though there are some MBA programs that require their students to have a few years of work experience under their belt before beginning the program, this is not always a requirement. Other requirements that are often considered to be standard include taking the GMAT test, offering letters of reference, writing a statement of purpose or any other specific task or credential a particular university may ask for.
Mark Hankins Iowa graduated from Iowa State University, and earned his Master’s in Business Administration, in 1997. Though Hankins did not use his degree in the business field, he has used it to find success as a coach for multiple NCAA Division I universities. He has most recently accepted the positon of Assistant Athletic Director with the University of Iowa.
Making it to the Level of Professional Golfing
A sport like golf requires a unique approach to improving your ability to play every time you have the opportunity to. The sport involves many motor skills and intense body control which can be off if the player is not focused acutely on making the shots. Most golf players that excel at the sport become looked upon as gifted. At some point, the majority of golf players at that level become professional players at their decision. Most golfing professionals have a way of finding themselves active with golf through other means than playing it. Endorsements give the opportunities for golfing professionals to go into various expert level business opportunities. Some of the professional players go into coaching that can be very beneficial for those that wish to XL at the game themselves. There is also the opportunity for the Pro to observe and analyze the game in a retrospective manner that can improve their personal gaming as well.
During the process of coaching and possibly managing golfing facilities, there are opportunities for endorsement of products as well. Ping is an extremely popular product line that offers some of the finest products and golfing globally. The majority of pro golfers continue by participating in coaching like Mark Hankins lowa. The Iowa native has participated in various professional tours. One of which is the Nike Tour and the Tommy Armor Tour as well. He has the responsibility as coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Division I Golf Team and is going into his eighth year.
The Great Challenges of the Marathon Competitor
Since the very beginnings mankind, there have always been the various types of events where their physical and mental states can be challenged. Many of these events have been in the books of history since ancient times. The marathon has always had it a special place in various countries around the world for centuries. Marathon runners have had to prepare for meeting events through various training sessions and intensive strengthening. Long-distance marathon running can be a great way for some to find a major challenge in their lives. Marathon runners often go to great lengths into the way they trained by piecing themselves out for an event. Most marathon runners break into a phase of building up the stamina that can take to sometimes even three months. In most cases, they phase in running in smaller distances with more repetition. Usually, these will be shorter runs 2 to 3 times a day.
The more experienced long-distance runners well start adding more distance and time into these runs. At a certain point, they will completely do away with more consistent 2 to 3 time a day running with one long day of running per week and build from there better stamina. They will typically add up to three long distance runs a week to ensure proper rest and stretching for flexibility. As an Iowa native Mark Hankins did the full Chicago Marathon. The University of Iowa assistant athletic director takes pride in showing the student athletes he still has physical capabilities to take on challenges.
Being there for the Hawkeye State is a Lifetime of Accomplishments
Great things can be said about various states, but none has such an interesting history and culture in the Midwest like Iowa. Often referred to as the Hawkeye state, has had so many interesting changes in politics and its people since its exploration by Europeans in the late 1600s. There was a massive indigenous group with many tribes that had populated the land. The region of Iowa would find itself amidst conflict by many of the Europeans pushing to settle in the areas. It was at one point being explored by French, Spanish, and English. The state moved on to become part of the union in 1846. The land is rich with crops such as corn and rice. It has brought much-needed staples for early America and its push towards the west. Since then much has changed about the Hawkeye state as it still holds its ground in agriculture but has gained global notoriety for its manufacturing companies throughout the state.
The people of Iowa are very proud of their athletic programs at every level. The more popular sports programs that are cherished by Iowans is the athletics hosted by the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. These two programs bring much-appreciated entertainment by its fans that are very supportive throughout the state. Iowa State University is known as the Cyclones sports program. The University of Iowa is well-known as the Hawkeyes.
Mark Hankins Iowa is a proud native of Iowa and has participated in great ways through both college programs.
The Psychology Program at Lagomarcino Hall
Studying the behavior of how the mind functions in every intricate and sophisticated function is how the study of psychology can be described. Psychologists are in the type of science which has a unique approach to studying the way the mind is working because there is no physical interaction. The emotions, perceptions, and cognitive thinking process has no physical trace much like the pulse of the heart. The closest opportunity psychologists may have when observing through the sensitive equipment the way the human body withdraws reflex during a certain state of mind. A great example of the way psychologists can trace these reflexes is through data collection when using a Polygraph.
Though it is not an accurate piece of equipment, it can sense a change in the psychological state. Other psychologists have used the data collection of temperature change within the body during certain activities. All these types of studies are part of the history behind successful programs that harbor scientific research and its participants. Most of these programs will occur at various universities and colleges globally. Iowa State University has a very well organized department of psychology.
Lagomarcino Hall is where the successful graduate Mark Hankins Iowa completed the psychology program at Iowa State University. He was glad to be able to attend a college in Iowa and take a great career path interacting with others in utilizing his degree. His many accomplishments have taken him to great heights in the sport of golf at various campuses across the country.
Recruiting The Best Talent
At any given time, college coaches are being inundated with information about potential recruits who just might be the next big thing to help take their program to the next level, or might just be a lot of hype that adds up to nothing. Knowing how to find and recruit the best talent is one of the most critical parts of any coach's job, and may mean the difference between being good and being great.
In golf, coaches discover talent in several different ways. Sometimes they find it at junior tournaments, where a lot of new players are showcasing their skills for the first time. Or players may initiate contacts with coaches through the Internet or by telephone. Or a third party may bring a promising new player to the coach's attention. No matter how it happens, coaches are the ones facing the often daunting task of finding and recruiting the best players to their programs, and figure out how much scholarship money is available for them to offer those who demonstrate the most potential.
It is not a scientific process; if it were it would make the coach's job a lot easier. Many coaches say it comes down to instinct, or a sixth sense about whether a player is going to become something truly special. Of course, the player's statistics or national rankings are going to figure into that.
Mark Hankins Iowa coached Michigan State University's men's golf team for eight years, and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year two times. He moved on to the University of Iowa and coached there for seven years before he was named its Assistant Athletic Director in the summer of 2014. He is a past president of the Golf Coaches Association of America.
NCAA Structure
The governance structure of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is made up of more than 125 committees that deal with the issues confronting college athletics, and all members of the NCAA. The committees are made up of members from Division I divisions and subdivisions.
At the top of the pyramid is the NCAA Executive Committee, which is responsible for making sure that each of the divisions operates in accordance with all NCAA principles and policies. Its Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues supplies reviews and recommendations to the Executive Committee on matters pertaining to gender, minority and youth issues, and general student athlete welfare.
In the summer of 2014 the NCAA adopted an updated Division I model that expands the Division I Board of Directors to include more presidents, and student athlete representatives, faculty representatives, and athletics director and female administrator. It also grants more flexibility to schools in the Atlantic Coast, the Big 12, the Pac 12 and Southeastern Conferences to change certain rules themselves in a list of specific areas within Division I. The new NCAA model was adopted as a single piece of legislation.
There are 1,083 colleges and universities that compete in sports that fall under the NCAA's governance. They are grouped into three divisions and are governed by athletic scholarship rules, and by the amount of money that the schools can spend on sports.
Mark Hankins spent seventeen years as a men's golf coach at the University of Iowa, a Division I school In the summer of 2014 he gave up coaching to become Iowa's Assistant Athletic Director.
Athletes and Academics
The National Collegiate Athletic Conference says it wants as many of its student athletes to graduate from college as possible, and that historically the "student" part of student-athlete has been a sometimes-overlooked part of the equation. And so it has guidelines in place to ensure that its student athletes take their schoolwork seriously, and earn themselves a degree.
And so it all comes down to eligibility. If student athletes want to maintain their eligibility to play they need to meet certain academic standards. Under current rules, student athletes at Division I schools need to complete forty percent of their coursework required for a degree by the end of their second year. Sixty percent of the work needs to be done by the end of their second year, and eight percent of it must be completed by the end of their fourth year. Student athletes have five years to graduate while they receive their athletic financial aid.
Division I teams are subject to the Academic Progress Rate, or APR, a standard that tracks a team's academic progress through a point system.
To even be eligible to play a sport for a Division I university, a student athlete must have graduated from high school, and must have a minimum score of 400 on the SAT or 37 on the ACT. Once they are in the program the need to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average in sixteen core courses, including English, Algebra I or a higher math, Natural or Physical science, and Social Science.
Mark Hankins Iowa coached men's golf at Division I schools for seventeen years and is now the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. He has always stressed academics to his athletes. During his coaching tenure, the Men’s Golf Team was the only athletics squad to earn a perfect 1000 APR in two years time.
