PHOENIX – South Dakota State's T.J. Otzelberger will receive the prestigious Guardians of the Game award for education from the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the annual AT&T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. The awards show will be live streamed on Twitter.
Otzelberger has been a driving force within the NABC's Stay In To Win program, which focuses on student success and dropout prevention. College coaches and their players join together with middle school and high school teachers and administrators to motivate and encourage students. By delivering the message that success in education is fundamental to success in life, students will be enlightened as to the impact of decisions they make in school.
Coaches and their players play key roles in outreach to students as they communicate the value of effective decision-making skills and the impact that academic, career, and personal decisions made now will have on their futures. The team members also serve as catalysts, encouraging students to develop success teams to help them overcome obstacles and success plans to guide them as they make the educational and career decisions that will direct their lives.
He is in his fifth year with Stay In To Win, helping youth between two stops at Iowa State and a stint at the University of Washington. In his first at the helm for SDSU, Otzelberger brought Stay in To Win to Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, South Dakota in addition to guiding the Jackrabbits to NCAA Tournament.
Otzelberger is joined by Lanny Van Eman (Advocacy), Gary McKnight (Leadership) and Dan Hays (Service) as honorees for the night.
