Ute Academy
Student-athlete personal development program aims to build champions for life.
Utah Athletics recently launched the Ute Academy, a personal development program for student-athletes focusing on personal development, leadership development, professional training and community service. The goal of the program is to foster the personal growth of student-athletes as they transition to college life, earn their degrees and eventually become contributing members of society.
Personal Development
Wellness Ambassadors
Focuses on overall wellness and mental health.
UTAH Group
United Together Against Hate focuses on social justice issues and change.
Our staff, coaches and students have worked together to make this a priority, and they have been very thoughtful in developing a comprehensive program.
Leadership Development
Freshman Summer
Transition course designed to expose student-athletes to the various levels of support and resources on campus, including library assistance, study skills, media training, nutrition and mental health.
Athletics Living Learning Community
First year housing community that focuses on leadership through diverse programming and a credit course.
Crimson Council
A student-athlete advisor committee that focuses on campus and community engagement and community service.
Cultural Conversation Series
Monthly workshops for freshmen focusing on developing leaders and discussing topics relevant in society today, including racial injustice, LGBTQ rights, and women's rights.
The partnership between Athletics and the Career Center has allowed for the creation of specialized career development programming. The Ute Academy is an opportunity for student-athletes to apply their skills and strengths in a broader context.
Professional Development
Network Night
The annual event connects student-athletes with local and national employers across all industries. This event is a great opportunity for current student-athletes to connect and network with employers and alumni across the community.
InXUtes
An online platform through InXAthlete providing career and mentor opportunities for current and former student-athletes.
Ute Café
Provides student-athletes the opportunity to "order" team or individual workshops across all topics, from resume prep to budgeting, within the area of professional development.
Employer Site Visits
Provides student-athletes the opportunity to visit local businesses and learn about various industries.
Job Shadowing
Provides student-athletes the opportunity to shadow professionals to gain experience and expand their network.
Our goal for the football team is to focus on personal welfare, community impact and career development. The Ute Academy provides the tools and resources for students to excel in those areas, and we are very excited for this program.
The Silicon Slopes Tech Summit features keynotes speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and an exclusive screening of a film from the Sundance Film Festival. The 2020 summit featured Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The summit gave our student-athletes an opportunity to network and learn from some amazing companies and people.
Paul Kirk, Utah's Associate A.D. for Strategic Communications, conducted a seminar for the football team on media interview skills and public speaking.
Kiln is a world-class workspace in downtown Salt Lake City that welcomed our student-athletes and allowed them to network and learn from tech companies like Smartcare.
Kiln is a world-class workspace in downtown Salt Lake City that welcomed our student-athletes and allowed them to network and learn from tech companies like Smartcare.
The women's volleyball team participated in a Ute Café workshop on budgeting.
ThoughtLab provided insight to our student-athletes on web design, development & marketing.
Mary Arola from U Career Services gave tips on how to successfully navigate the job search.
First impressions are lasting and impactful, and it's important to learn the skills to make a great one. Representatives from JP Morgan spoke to the football team about that process.
Community Service
Utah Athletics partnered with Backman Elementary for the 2019-20 academic year to provide opportunities for student-athletes to engage, teach and be role models for local elementary school students.
The annual Trunk-or-Treat is an opportunity for our student-athletes to engage with the community, as they dress up and hand out candy to local children prior to a women's soccer game. The Holiday Dinner for student-athletes doubles as a canned food drive. Utah has also participated in the Pac-12's Zero Waste Game during football season.
The Ute Academy is another example of Utah Athletics' commitment to student-athlete wellness and success. As a coach, this program and the resources it provides will help us invest in our student-athletes beyond our sport.