By Alexandra Salerno
Advisory Editor
In her final year at St. Bonaventure, Megan Van Tatenhove helped lead her undefeated regular season women’s basketball team to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Since graduating with a degree in elementary education in 2012, Van Tatenhove worked as a substitute teacher, coached high school basketball and worked at a cheese factory.
“I’m a typical Wisconsin-er,” joked Van Tatenhove.
Despite her roots, the Sheboygan Falls native didn’t spend too long in the cheese state before returning to the home of the Bonnies.
Bonaventure coaches contacted Van Tatenhove last spring about an open position for an academic coordinator in the athletic department. After interviewing, Van Tatenhove was offered the position.
As an academic coordinator, Van Tatenhove monitors and records student-athlete study hall hours, provides feedback to coaches and conducts academic meetings with first year and academically at risk (GPA of 2.0 or below) student-athletes. She mainly works with freshman student-athletes to make sure they are academically on track and offers advice for classes and registration.
“I don’t consider myself an academic adviser or tutor,” she said. “I give students learning strategies and point them to resources.”
Those resources include student-athlete study hall hours. All first-semester Bonaventure athletes are required to complete eight hours of study hall time per week. Depending on academic performance, the mandatory hours are adjusted.
First year students are also required to meet once a week for an academic meeting — something Van Tatenhove remembers vividly from her days as an undergraduate.
“When I was a freshman, I attended study hall hours and weekly meetings,” she said. “I would ask questions that I didn’t feel comfortable asking in class. Now, students tell me about their concerns and grades in class, and I offer advice. Because I experienced it myself, I’m able to give them good feedback.”
Certain coaches require student-athletes to complete more than eight study hall hours.
“I meet with each coach at the beginning of the semester, and they give me a list of students they require to go to study halls,” said Van Tatenhove. “I monitor and record, but the coaches are the enforcers.”
Van Tatenhove is versed in interacting with coaches but admitted Bonaventure life is different now that she’s not a part of the team.
“It’s difficult,” she said. “I want to be out there all the time. I want to go out and put a jersey on, but I’ve had to come to terms with it. I still have basketball in my life.”
Van Tatenhove has more than just basketball in her life – she has Bonaventure basketball in her life. She practices with the Bonnies by taking on the on-the-court tendencies of upcoming opposing teams. She’s the first to admit, however, practices aren’t like they used to be.
“I was a little slow at the start,” she said. “The coaches like to pick on me, and the first practices were rough, but I give the team a good look at what other teams might play like.”
Van Tatenhove said she feels truly valued when the coaches ask for her opinion.
“I talk to Coach Crowley about his goals, and he asks what I see from each girl,” she said. “It’s hard because going from coach to colleague is different. I still look at him like he’s my coach. I definitely respect him, but it’s hard to switch mindsets.”
During a year where the Bonnies only have two seniors on the court, Van Tatenhove understands the importance of leadership.
“I try to be a quiet leader,” she said. “I don’t want to step on the seniors’ toes. If they need advice, I’m always there on and off the court.”
Van Tatenhove said her long-term goals are unclear as of now.
“I wish I could dye my hair, get a nose job and play on the court again,” Van Tatenhove joked.
An ideal future would involve the sport she loves.
“To be honest, I’m not quite sure (about my future),” said Van Tatenhove. “I’d love to stay in basketball and do that for the rest of my life, but I have my degree, which means I have options. I’m blessed to have options, but it makes it harder because it’s not like I can say, ‘this is my path.’”
Returning to Bonaventure wasn’t a hard decision, however. Not only does Van Tatenhove work full time for the university, she’s currently studying for a master’s degree in childhood literacy.
“Bona’s has been so good to me,” she said. “It’s so easy to come back to a school that has helped me so much. I enjoy meeting new people. It’s very gratifying. When I was a freshman, I was very shy. I was an introvert. I consider myself an extrovert now, and that is thanks to Bonaventure and being on the team. I traveled so much meeting people for basketball, and it forced me to be who I really am.”
