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Buckinghams an off-the-field showcase BEHIND THE DESK BARRY ALVAREZ • UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS I 'm looking forward to the fourth annual Buckinghams because it puts our student- athletes in a different light by showcasing academic excellence, achievements and skills beyond athletic competition. April 23 will be a feel-good night for our department. All sports are represented by coaches and athletes, male and fe- male, and the program is run along the lines of the ESPY Awards show on ESPN. The kids seem to like the idea of getting dressed up, too. Who wouldn't like the red carpet treat- ment they received on their way into the Overture Center theater for last year's Buckinghams? A lot of time and effort goes into putting this together by the Office of Academic Services. I know Doug Tiedt was look- ing for an option to the traditional academic banquet without compro- mising the main priority and pur- pose of such banquets, and that's to recognize achievement. I remember him saying he wanted an "Academy Awards'' feel to the event. And he has achieved that, along with making sure the organizers, the presenters and the performers are all student-athletes. I've heard comments from some of the kids on how cool it is to bring everyone together, and how they genuinely appreciate being recog- nized for their accomplishments outside of the lines. It's so much fun hearing the kids hooting and hollering for their teammates when they walk across the stage to receive their awards. Every year it gets a little better. For me, there are certain kids that you bump into now and then — you know who they are because you've seen them compete — but you just don't have a lot of interac- tion with them. I've been able to appreciate their I've heard comments from some of the kids on how cool it is to bring everyone togeth- er, and how they genu- inely appreciate being recognized for their ac- complishments outside of the lines. abilities even more through the Buckinghams. Some of our athletes are very talented outside of their sports. The poem that Anya Covington read last year was off the charts while Joel Stave sounded aw- fully good playing Billy Joel on the piano. The awards presentation covers just about all the academic bases. Teams and individuals are rec- ognized for cumulative GPA and community service. There are Unsung Hero and leadership awards and recognition of academic improvement. In general, my whole thing with our kids is that I want them to leave this university feeling good about the experience that they had here. I want them to be able to say that they were supported both on and off the field and that they grew — as students and athletes — during their four or five years at Wiscon- sin. If they had to do it all over — if they were being recruited again — I want them to be able to say that they'd make the same choice and come back. That is over and above everything else. Our athletes are competing with world class students in a world class university. Their time management skills are really put to the test. Plus, they're competing at an extremely high level within the Big Ten. There are a lot of demands and a lot of things that goes into being successful academically. That's why we feel so good about honoring their achievements with the Buckinghams. Hopefully it's an experience that they will remember for a long time. 12 » VARSITY APRIL 12, 2012