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MEN'S SOCCER

WALKER NAMED ARTHUR ASHE JR. SCHOLAR ATHLETE

4-26-05

CALDWELL, N.J. - Like most student-athletes, sophomore soccer player Miguel Walker (St. Catherine, Jamaica) has a busy schedule. Along with his responsibilities as a full-time student and a member of the Caldwell College men’s soccer team, Walker serves as the president of Caldwell’s International Student Organization (ISO), tutors other students in the writing lab as well as in philosophy and economics, and gives tours to prospective students through the Office of Admissions. And on days when his schedule becomes a bit lighter, namely weekends and holidays, Walker works in maintenance on the campus.

What sets Walker apart from most student-athletes, besides his hectic schedule, is that in spite of all of the activities and responsibilities that he has on his plate, Walker has maintained a 3.95 grade-point average as a financial economics major, earning a spot on the Dean’s List three times. For his excellence in the classroom and on the soccer field, Walker has been named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete by Black Issues in Higher Education. He is one of nine men’s soccer players in the nation, regardless of division, to be selected to the first team.

The Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete Award was created to honor student-athletes of color who achieve athletically and academically while contributing to the community and on campus. The award is named after the late world-renowned tennis player who became an activist for civil rights around the world after his playing career ended. Walker recalls reading about Ashe in the book Kaffir Boy, an autobiography of a boy growing up in South Africa during apartheid and how he is inspired by Ashe.

”It is a huge honor for me to receive an award named after such a great man,” Walker said. “It’s amazing to be mentioned along with a man who did something to stop apartheid. He attracted attention to apartheid when others turned a blind eye to it.”

The Scholar Athlete Award is just another piece of evidence that Walker not only has succeeded in his many roles as a student-athlete, ISO president, tutor, tour guide and maintenance worker at Caldwell College, he has thrived in them. To get an understanding of how, or even why Walker balances so many responsibilities at once, one needs only to watch Walker in action on the soccer field. A center midfielder for the Cougar soccer team, Walker plays a position that at times is in the middle of chaos but requires a cool head to play it effectively. He both defends and attacks, meaning he possesses the aggressiveness and strength to dispossess opponents of the ball, as well as the skill and finesse to dribble through defenders and distribute the ball to his teammates. And being in the center of the field with opposing players surrounding him, Walker often does all of this in tight spaces.

“Miguel is an extremely hard-working player,” said Caldwell men’s soccer coach Jamie Nash. “He plays one of the most important positions on the field. He works hard for 90 minutes and always gives 100 percent.”

That same work ethic is evident when he prepares for his classes, sometimes staying up until 3:00 a.m. to finish an assignment or chapter. “It just has to be done,” Walker said.

But Walker is quick to credit others who have supported him. “There is a lot of help here, from the administration to athletics. There’s a lot of community and I guess I’m a product of the community here at Caldwell College.”

As president of the ISO, Walker is no doubt a big part of Caldwell’s supportive community. The ISO, which plans and coordinates social, charitable and educational activities on campus, was created to provide a welcoming environment for international students. A native of Jamaica who had only visited the United States a few times before coming to Caldwell College, Walker certainly understands the need to reach out to students who are experiencing a new culture, as he went through it in the fall of 2003.

“It was extremely intimidating coming to my first practice at Caldwell and seeing all of these big, strong players,” Walker said. “Everyone looked the same to me. Because of my heavy accent, it was hard for my teammates to understand me. But the coaches were proactive, and they had us do a lot of team-building exercises. The guys also tried to talk like me, to make it something fun instead of a barrier. Playing well also helped me earn their respect.”

From that awkward introduction on the first day of practice, Walker has become one of the team’s strongest leaders. A second team all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selection in 2003, Walker will serve as captain of next fall’s team. “He is a true leader,” Nash said. “He sets the tone for us in practice and gets on people if they’re lacking in effort. But the players respect him because they see the effort he’s giving every day on the field.”

Walker’s hard-working nature coupled with the numerous responsibilities he has taken on seems to refute the stereotype of the easy-going Jamaican. “The thing is, I am laid-back,” Walker proclaimed. “Even when I’m doing all of this stuff, I’m never rushed. In soccer, when I play my worst is when I rush with the ball. If I’m calm and relaxed I play well. At my position I need to be calm.”

The one area where Walker doesn’t have everything figured out is his own future. “I know my options but not my plans. I’ll do a cost-benefit analysis when the time comes to decide,” he said.

Since he is just a sophomore, there’s no need to rush in planning his future, either. Right now, Walker is concentrating on finishing the semester and working on his shooting, one of the few weak spots in his game. “I promise you that I will score more this season,” he says, sealing the pact with a handshake. I wouldn’t bet against him.

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