On Jan. 22, Scott Jensen became the eleventh recipient of the Webster Student Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) Appreciation Award. The award, introduced by the SAAC in 2014, is given annually to an administrator, faculty and staff member, or supporter of the Gorlok Athletic Department with the intention of allowing student athletes to recognize individuals who assisted them in their success.
Jensen won the 2023 award, which was supposed to be voted upon and announced last year. However, “timing got in the way,” Assistant Athletic Director Maureen Burt said. So, this year’s SAAC got together in a special meeting to nominate and vote on the awardee. Ultimately, Jensen was chosen from a list of eight finalists.
“Scott is one of our Faculty Athletic Reps (FARs). He works with us from an academic and compliance perspective. He helps student-athletes if they have any issues with professors or have any academic issues,” Burt, who is also the head of the Webster SAAC, said. “That is one thing that he does for us, and he shows up to many of our sporting events. He shows up to volleyball, basketball, soccer, and baseball games, so he is coming out and supporting the student-athletes in that way.”
Jensen, who began teaching at Webster University during the fall of 1997, is the director of the University’s sports communication bachelor’s degree and a sports communication professor. He says he is honored to receive the SAAC Appreciation award.
“I went into teaching because I wanted to work with students, have opportunities to learn from them, and to have them learn from me,” Jensen said. “So anytime you get a group of students who collectively say you made a difference, that is incredibly rewarding. There isn’t a better reinforcement for your decision, to go into teaching, than something like that.”
With the bachelor’s degree in sports communication being a popular choice of majors among student athletes, Jensen often finds multiple Webster athletes taking his classes. He says it is a rewarding experience.
“Specifically, when I’m teaching sports classes, it’s nice because there is a particular combination of interest, knowledge, and experience,” Jensen said. “I think those three pieces of student-athlete backgrounds contribute uniquely and richly to a class that is about some aspect of sports. Beyond that, student athletes are individuals who know how to balance time. They are serious, they are goal-driven, and they can. That is the prototype for the ideal student athlete you want to have sitting right there front and center in a classroom.”
RJ LaRocco, a captain on the Webster baseball team and a sports communication major, is one of those student athletes who sits front and center in Jensen’s classes. LaRocco says Jensen’s support, as his academic advisor and professor, is crucial to his overall collegiate success.
“As a professor, he’s just a great guy. I can go to him if I have any trouble in class or anything like that,” LaRocco said. “Sometimes I’ll just go in there [to Jensen’s office] to register for classes and I’ll be stuck there for 2 hours because we’ll just be talking about baseball or life or anything.”
LaRocco also appreciates Jensen for being understanding when it comes to homework submission, especially when his team is in season, playing up to four games during the weekends and practicing everyday.
“We’d be walking to class, and he can tell we’re exhausted, and he’ll be like, ‘Hey if you need an extra day to get this assignment done, go ahead and take it’, which is super cool.” LaRocco said.
Jensen also assists Webster’s Forensics team, which is directed by his wife Gina Jensen. In fact, Scott was the director of the team for nearly 18 years, until his wife took over.
“We’re lucky that he still helps out [with the team] because his influence is invaluable,” Gina Jensen said. “He really has a heart for students, and he has a heart for Webster, so I think with that drive, that helps him make time for things.”
On top of all his athletic and academic obligations, Jensen still manages to find time to make it out to Webster Athletic events. According to his estimates, he attended 45 Gorlok games last year.
Gina Jensen said the secret to his omnipresence is his desire to support his students, on and off the field.
“He doesn’t want to miss a game in any sport,” Gina said. “He’s there absolutely every single time he can be there, and he keeps the schedule open and schedules around the sporting events.”
Despite this, there are times when Scott must prioritize between conflicting events, like this Wednesday. Noah Jensen, Scott Jensen’s son, plays his first JV game for Webster’s baseball team.
“I don’t get to see it because it’s the same time as a class. I can’t just cancel my class because I want to see my kid play baseball,” Gina Jensen said. “Those times you just have to figure out what the priorities are.”
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