The Midwest Conference is formed as an organization of colleges sharing a similar educational philosophy of inter-collegiate athletics. Conference members believe that intercollegiate athletics provide unique and valuable experiences in the total educational program. They contribute significantly to the development of the individual students and provide excellent opportunity for their growth, self-realization, and the fulfillment of personal potential.
“MWC Stories of Identity and Achievement” is a weekly feature highlighting the pursuits and passions of MWC students outside of athletics and into the classroom, campus and beyond graduation. The MWC Constitution forms the commitment to well-rounded individuals who maintain a distinct yet complimentary identity to that of our successful athletes. Opportunities to pursue their passions and potential in both academic and extra-curricular activities and fully integrate into campus are what make us No Ordinary Conference. In full alignment with the Division III Strategic Positioning Platform, the MWC has been a leader in the balance among academics and athletics as current and former student-athletes continue their pursuit of excellence in all that they do.
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Alec Moore Fits That Description Perfectly
Moore, a men's tennis player juggles a heavy workload off the court
Moore, an economics major from Apple Valley, Minn., is not only a member of the highly-successful Pioneer men’s tennis team, but has been active in GOAL (Grinnell Outstanding Athletic Laud), served as President of SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee), and is a longtime student director for the Pioneers’ athletic webcasts.
Despite having so much on his plate between academics, athletics and other duties, Moore has risen to the challenge and has been successful in every area.
“One of the things I like is having something to do,” says Moore. “I’ve been that way for a long time. At Grinnell College it is more difficult because of the academic load, but I’ve been able to make it work.”
Moore wears the “well-rounded” student tag as a badge of honor. “I take pride in being a scholar-athlete,” he says. “While having a lot on your plate can be difficult to manage at times, it also forces you to be organized. A lot of times you get out of things what you put into them, and that’s what I try to do in the classroom, on the tennis court and with the jobs I’ve had in my years here. What’s the point of doing something halfway when you can do it the right way?”
On the tennis court, Moore is part of a Pioneer squad that has won seven Midwest Conference titles in a row and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament four consecutive seasons.
“I’ve loved being a part of this team,” says Moore. “When I was applying to schools I did look at the tennis programs, and when I visited here I loved the people I met. It’s been an amazing learning process. I don’t think I would have matured as much as a person if I couldn’t have played tennis here. So many have played a role in my growth, especially people like coach (Andy) Hamilton ’85.”
While assisting with the student groups of GOAL and SAAC, Moore’s presence has been felt most as part of Midwest Conference TV, a conference-wide effort that allows colleges to webcast various athletic events.
Under the current program, every MWC school is required to have webcasts of all home football, volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games. But Grinnell has also taken things a step further than the requirements by airing home baseball contests, including the recent MWC Baseball Championships, as well as the MWC Swimming and Diving Championships.
Moore has been Grinnell’s student director for webcasts the last two years. His duties include setting up the necessary equipment, organizing personnel for both play-by-play announcing and camera work, and keeping in close contact with the company that puts the webcasts on the Internet, Penn Atlantic.
“It was strange when I first took over as the student director, because I was hiring people who had been helping with it longer than I’d been here,” laughs Moore. “But I’m glad to have the job. I’ve had such great workers and they all show up for their jobs, which tells me a lot about their level of responsibility. They combine to do a wonderful job for Grinnell College and portray our athletics in the best light.”
Hamilton is not only Moore’s tennis coach, but serves as his supervisor for the webcast role. “Alec is a tremendous ‘behind-the-scenes’ person,” says Hamilton. “I am certain that his work as SAAC president and student director of MWC TV has gone unnoticed by most. But through that work, he established himself as one of the most reliable student-athletes who works for the Athletic department, and he always carries himself with poise and integrity.”
Moore will take a hiatus from campus this fall as he goes overseas. “By going abroad, I’ll be seeing and experiencing some different things,” says Moore. “I’m also in the process of thinking what I want to do after graduation. In high school I was part of an international marketing project, and I’ve taken a lot of finance classes, so I’m sure I’ll be doing something in that area.”
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