Throughout the academic year, the Southern Conference will feature a student-athlete from around the league in a series called the SoCon Spotlight. This provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the student-athlete in a different light. The question and answer session will focus on a student-athlete who contributes on the field, course, mat or court through community service.
This SoCon Spotlight focuses on UNC Greensboro's Emily Akiyama, a senior from Kirkland, Wash. Akiyama plays third base for the Spartan softball team and when she's not on the field, she's participating in activities with the team such as FOX8 Gifts for Kids. We recently sat down with Akiyama to talk about her involvement in community service as well as her experiences as a student-athlete at UNC Greensboro.
Tell us about yourself.
"I'm a senior here at UNCG. I'm from Kirkland, Wash., which is a suburb of Seattle, so I'm not far from there. I'm majoring in kinesiology, sports med concentration and also minoring in business."
You are from Kirkland, Wash., as you mentioned. What led you to play softball at UNC Greensboro?
"There are so many more schools out on the East coast. It made it a lot easier to come out here for travel ball tournaments as far as recruiting. Coach Herzig saw me at a bunch of camps and tournaments in Florida and New Jersey. It just felt like a good fit. I like the program, I like the size of the school, all of the girls on the team, the campus was beautiful, that was a big thing, and plus just wanting to experience a different part of the country was a big draw also."
What kinds of community service projects have you been involved with at UNC Greensboro?
"Every year the entire athletic department works with FOX8, which is a local news station, for FOX8 Gifts for Kids. We go out and ask for donations, either monetary or toys, for children within the area that are less fortunate that will not receive too many gifts for Christmas otherwise. We do that every year as a team. Everyone enjoys it. It's always good to know you're giving back to the community, especially something like that. Christmas is taken for granted for a lot of people, so it's nice to be able to help support that for some people and some families."
The team held a Strike Out Cancer event earlier this season, tell us about that event?
"We had a booth set up on our concourse for any of those people who were present. They went up to the booth put in a name of someone that they know that has been affected by cancer. Every time we got a strike out they announced over the loudspeaker that the strike out was in honor of whoever the person is that they have drawn and give a little acknowledgement to them."
You have done some projects with your fellow teammates. What is the best part about doing community service as a team?
"It's just fun to mess around with all of us. We do it together so that's always fun to hang out with teammates. This year we actually worked at the warehouse where they distribute the toys, and you actually get the list of what each kid wants, and what they need and want. You literally go around the warehouse and shop for these kids from the gifts that we've received from the donors. That was really fun because every time you find something that's perfect for this kid that wants it, it's so exciting to know that you can only imagine how excited that they will be once they get to open that up on Christmas morning, and they actually got something this year. That was really fun for us this year. We all really enjoyed it."
How has your involvement in community service influenced your play on the field?
"I think it helps to put things in perspective a little bit. As a student-athlete with your schedule you need good time management skills because you have classes, you have practices, any extras that you're doing, all that kind of stuff. It puts into perspective that it is a game, and that you should enjoy it while you can because there are less fortunate out there. It's just nice to be able to give back in another way also that we have the opportunity to do things like that, like FOX8. It's rewarding to do that kind of stuff."
How has your involvement influenced your work in the classroom?
"Like I said, it kind of puts things in perspective. You realize that there are bigger and better things out there. To get an education, a good education, is a big priority for me especially. I take academics very seriously, and so it just stresses the importance of it and the importance of being able to do something after ball and go on and hopefully make a good living and be able to contribute in other ways after graduation."
What have you learned about yourself while you've been involved in community service?
"I've learned that a little does really go a long way. You hear that a lot, but if it's just when we're going around asking for monetary donations, you know five bucks from everyone or a couple bucks, it really does add up. One person going out and getting that money donated makes a huge difference. Even if it's just one family's Christmas or one kid's present that they've wanted. You realize how much one person really can do and how much of a difference you can make. It's very rewarding to know that you can have that big of an impact as a single person.
What would you say to other student-athletes who are thinking about becoming involved in community service?
"I would say to definitely take part if you are given the opportunity, which I know a lot of student-athletes, especially at our university, are given to take advantage of it. I know sometimes like I said we are so busy it's hard to fit other things into your schedule. You really do get a lot out of it. It is really rewarding."
You have earned numerous academic accolades, including being named to the Dean's List. How do you balance your commitments as a student and as an athlete, and also your other things outside of that?
"Ever since I was young I played numerous sports and so coming up here being a one-sport athlete, which is tough enough, you learn to manage your time. Like I said earlier, academics are very important to me. I'm not going to go professional for softball, so I need to have that academic background to get me where I want to go. It's a struggle, but you figure it out early on that you need to make priorities and figure out what needs to happen first. You get a feel for it. It is nice once you're here, you get to choose your major, you're in classes and in programs that are interesting to you too so that helps to motivate you because it's something you want to be doing. I look forward to my career and all that kind of stuff that I'm working towards."
You mentioned that you are majoring in kinesiology and minoring in business. You are a senior this year. What are your plans after graduation?
"That's still kind of in the works. I love the sports medicine aspect. I've been obviously in love with sports since I was young, but I really have taken an interest in the business world as well, which is why I am minoring in it. I'm currently looking into some sports administration and MBA programs for after school so definitely more school. It's still not quite solidified yet."
What is your favorite memory from your time at UNC Greensboro?
"The first thing that pops into my head is the USA game. My sophomore year they came out for an exhibition game because they were touring the country before the Olympics and played us here at our home field. These are people I grew up and still idolize because they are such tremendous athletes. It was amazing to be on the same field with them and be able to be out there and compete with them. Another reason it was memorable was Jenny Finch, their star pitcher, actually hit me on the wrist and broke it on the first pitch of my first at bat. That was a little souvenir I guess, but it was great, and afterwards we were able to hang out on the field with them for 20 minutes and just hang out with them and talk to them. They were very down to earth and more than willing to answer all of our questions. That was a really, really cool experience for me."
What is the best part about being an athlete in the Southern Conference?
"One of the things I like, especially about UNCG and most schools, they're not huge, huge universities. I feel like this conference does a pretty good job of not letting the student-athletes get lost in the shuffle with everything else and does a good job of looking out for their best interests, whether it be on the field or in the classroom with programs that help student-athletes. I really have enjoyed that aspect. I think that it's a pretty close-knit group of athletes, especially here. We're all kind of in the same boat together, so it's a good camaraderie that we all have with each other."
2009-10 SoCon Spotlight Featured Student-Athletes
Appalachian State - Sam Ramirez - Basketball (view article and interview)
College of Charleston - Emily Morgan - Soccer (view article and interview)
The Citadel - Lauren Fleming - Track & Field (view article and interview)
Davidson - Bryant Barr - Basketball (view article and interview)
Elon - Steven Kinney - Soccer (view article and interview)
Furman - Jessica Preeg - Tennis (view article and interview)
Georgia Southern - Jake Ware - Baseball (view article and interview)
UNC Greensboro - Emily Akiyama - Softball (view article and interview)
Samford - Patrick Wells - Track & Field (view article and interview)
Chattanooga - Maria Juliana Loza - Golf (view article and interview)
Western Carolina - Kristen Feemster - Basketball (view article and interview)
Wofford - Jordan Ingman - Football (view article and interview)