General | 4/20/2017 11:00:00 AM

Dear Eagle Nation,

As we all know, winning a championship requires a tremendous amount of sacrifice, resources and commitment.  The satisfaction you receive when you are a part of a championship is so fulfilling because of how difficult championships are to achieve.  On the other hand, each Spring I get to be part of a championship that is the most rewarding for me: graduation. In a few weeks, our senior student-athletes who have put in the work and committed to their education will experience their own championship of graduation.  

Like all championships, our student-athletes do not achieve this alone. It takes the sacrifice and commitment of many of our staff members who have helped them get to this place. Our Student-Athlete Services group facilitates in  everything from class schedules to tutor appointments and to applying for graduation. They truly are the team behind our graduates. Reggie Simpkins, director of student-athlete services, and his staff do an outstanding job of working with our student-athletes from the first day they arrive on campus to the day they graduate.

This yearly championship also requires resources. Many of these resources come from you, our donors. You have helped fund student-athlete scholarships and areas that assist our student-athletes in achieving their ultimate championship - graduation. Thank you for helping our student-athletes achieve their ultimate championship. I hope you feel the same sense of pride I do when you see our student-athletes walk across that stage and receive their diploma. It is truly a "Championship" feeling and because, without you, they wouldn't be earning a degree from, or representing Georgia Southern University.

A perfect example of one of our student-athletes, who will be celebrating her championship this May, is Angel McGowan.

Angel McGowan: Basketball star by day, award-winning author by night.

?? Learn more on how she strives to make an impact on & off the court: pic.twitter.com/fP69D8KGsO

— GS Eagle Athletics (@GSAthletics) March 7, 2017

Armstrong Update.
I would like to take this time to update you on our progress regarding the consolidation with Armstrong State University. Lisa Sweany, the athletic director at Armstrong State, and I have been working on the organizational chart for the new Athletics Department for the new Georgia Southern University. You can expect this chart to be released to the public in the near future. This opportunity allowed us to create an athletic department that is comparable to other institutions of our size at the Division-I level. We feel that we have improved resources that will provide staffing to continue to create the best experience possible for our student-athletes. 

See You Soon.
Spring time signals the start of our Coaches Caravans. These caravans are a great time to meet coaches and ask questions about our current programs. It is also an opportunity to expose alumni who are not involved with what we are about here in Georgia Southern Athletics. I look forward to seeing each of you at one of our stops across Georgia and around the region.

Thank you,

G.A.T.A
"Beat State"

Tom Kleinlein 
Director of Athletics, Georgia Southern University 

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