As a native of New York City, I???m always thrilled to hear that people enjoy the time they spend in the Big Apple. On a recent trip to the city, the Millikin women???s volleyball team went 3-1 in a tournament hosted by NYU, but the experience turned out to be just as successful off the court.

With a focus on culture, diversity and education, the team???s coaches made sure to expose their players to New York when they weren???t competing. The visit included a trip to Ground Zero for the squad???s history major; an outing to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; a stroll down 5th Avenue for a player interested in fashion merchandising; a visit to Wall Street for business majors; and a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We???ve established that most student-athletes will find their careers outside of athletics, and it???s important for them to understand what happens outside the cocoon of their campus and athletics facilities. While the game of volleyball is played the same way in Decatur, Illinois as it is in downtown Manhattan, Millikin???s volleyball student-athletes learned about some of the exciting things that could be awaiting them after they graduate. They immersed themselves with the history and feel of the city and that will prove to be a lifelong memory for each and every student-athlete.

I???m not a snobby New Yorker; when the NYU team travels to an away game, those student-athletes should be exposed to the way things are outside of Manhattan. They should stop by local museums and historical sites in every city or town they go to. As student-athletes, they???re lucky to go to new places regularly. It???s the responsibility of the coaches to make that experience truly worthwhile.

I like to believe that most coaches are heavily invested in the development of young adults, and exposing them to culture should go hand in hand with teaching them discipline and hard work. Millikin???s volleyball coaches certainly have their priorities straight, and for that, I applaud them.