Student advocate

February 17, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

AUSTINTOWN

An award-winning biology professor, Dr. Chet Cooper takes pride in the accomplishments and successes of his Youngstown State University students.

As YSU’s faculty athletic representative to its conference affiliations and NCAA governing body since 2010, Cooper also works to ensure the welfare of 340 student-athletes.

Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches Monday, Cooper said that YSU’s student-athletes must live up to their end of the bargain as well.

“I pride myself on student-athlete welfare and stress the word student first,” Cooper said. “I try to interact with them as much as possible and make sure that they are treated well, cautioning them that they, too, are responsible for what they should be doing — first academically and then athletically.”

The head of the University’s Academic Senate, Cooper has also been a key part of past faculty negotiating teams while serving on a myriad of committees.

None of those duties, however, denies him and wife, Karen, from attending games or traveling when possible in order to support the athletes and their respective teams.

“I want to be visible at as many athletic events possible, as well as their many extracurricular functions,” Cooper said. “My wife and I love to travel, but will always do it separately from the team. It’s never been my intent to spend any of the teams’ funds, whether allocated or raised.”

Last spring, the Coopers followed the Penguins’ softball team during its annual spring trip to North Carolina. This past December, they made the trek to Texas A&M to root for the men’s basketball team.

“We just love traveling and want to watch as many of our teams as possible,” Cooper said.

Cooper noted that many challenges lie ahead for all NCAA participating schools.

“In my opinion only, there’s added pressure on all athletic departments nationwide because of the sweeping changes happening at the national level,” Cooper said. “With those new changes in place to basically accommodate the Power Five conference schools, it has just upped the ante for other institutions in order to compete.

“Power Five schools control a large amount of funds so there’s now added fiscal responsibility,” Cooper said. “With television and merchandise rights and a larger attendance base, larger schools have the ability to give their student-athletes more funds so where is a recruit going to go?

“Smaller schools now find themselves on the outside looking in.”

Cooper lauded the Penguins’ fall intercollegiate academic report, noting that its 17 varsity teams posted a cumulative 3.07 grade point average, 57 percent of which carry a 3.00 GPA or better

A noted baseball umpire, Cooper has worked area Little League, Ohio high school and area sandlot games for the past two decades.

He worked the 2012 Little League World Series and called balls and strikes in the first game by a team from Africa (Uganda).

He also worked home plate in its 2005 Central Regional in Indianapolis. This summer, he is scheduled to work the Junior Division Central Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Japan was simply the class of the tournament in 2012,” Cooper said. “Just watching them warm up, you could see they were so graceful.

“Talent-wise, they were head and shoulders above every other team,” Cooper said. “For me, it was a memorable experience.”