What Parents and Students Can Do To Become Successful College Student-Athletes

Join Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live and his guest Mr. Mark Linder of the University of North Alabama.  Dr. Robinson and Mr. Linder will discuss the process of high school students becoming a successful student-athlete at the college level.

Mark Linder became the director of athletics at the University of North Alabama (UNA) on Aug. 27, 2007. Mark's professional mission statement is to "Graduate Champions."

The Lions have experienced success on the field of play, in the area of fundraising, and in upgrades of facilities. From August 2007 to March 2009, the Lions had 11 teams qualify for NCAA championships. During 2008, the annual fundraising efforts by the UNA department of athletics exceeded the previous marks by $100,000. In 2008, UNA hosted the Division II National Championship football game for the 23rd straight year and recently completed building a new $1.2 million soccer/football field.

UNA athletics has recently started to explore additional ways to become an "engaged community partner." Last winter, UNA launched the CUTIP program. This program allows kids age 13 and younger to get vouchers at local credit unions that allow them to attend UNA athletics events free of charge. This fall, the "Reading Lions" program was launched in local elementary schools.

Linder was a two-time academic all-America and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry at Wayne State (NE) in 1991. In 1993, Mark earned a Master's of Education in 1993 while serving as a football coach for the Wildcats.

Mark's wife, Michele, is working on her PhD and the happy couple celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary in May. They have two sons, Braxton and Brodrick, and a daughter, Breylee.