Collin College athletes have proven themselves on the tennis and basketball courts. They’re doing the same in the classroom.

According to recent numbers, out of the 41 Cougar athletes in the spring semester, 50 percent had a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

These numbers include a cumulative GPA for the women’s tennis team of 3.03; men’s tennis, 2.73; women’s basketball, 2.73; and men’s basketball, 2.85.

“We have athletes that are sound academically,” men’s basketball head coach Jim Sigona said. “We try to stay on top of that.

“(Success in the classroom) gives them more opportunities when transferring to a university. There are some (universities) that do not take ‘C’ students.”

In the past two months, Collin College men’s basketball players have parlayed their skills in the classroom and on the court into scholarships at Drake and Pepperdine universities.

Part of the success of the student-athletes relates to mandatory study halls for up at least an hour and a half or two hours a several times a week. Also, coaches are active in checking in on student’s progress in the classroom.

Often, the classroom and gym or tennis court are connected. Sigona said he and his coaches treat the “basketball floor like the classroom.”

Women’s basketball head coach Jeff Allen agreed.

“You’ll see that if students are hard workers on the basketball floor, they’re hard workers in the classroom,” Allen said. “That’s why I think sports is important. The foundation of a good athlete is hard work, focus and teamwork – those characteristics translate to the classroom.”