Nicole Albertson
Staff Writer
Dumb jock. Some people think of athletes that way. They think athletes ride into college on a scholarship and exert no actual mental energy throughout their academic career, skating by on athletic ability, and the favor of teachers who are sports fans.
If this was true, people like Jonathan Winder would not fit into the “athlete” category. Winder proves the stereotype wrong with his outstanding academics, athletics and attitude. For the past three years, Winder has been mastering the balancing act of schoolwork, volleyball and an outside social life.
Winder grew up in Irvine, Calif., with his mother, older brother and sister. When Winder was 5 years old, his father, a professional basketball player, died of a disease commonly called “athlete’s heart.” This disease, hypertropic cardiomyopathy, causes thickening of the muscles in the walls of the heart and results in over half of the sudden death cases in athletes younger than 35.
At the time of his father’s death, there was no way to test for this hereditary condition. The technological advancements have made it possible for all of his family members to be tested negative for the disease.
“I never really knew my father,” Winder said. “But I knew him through my mom and through God, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
Winder is tested for the disease every 10 years as a preventative measure.
Winder may not have the disease that his father but is suffering from an injury. He accidentally stepped on another player’s foot during a game on Dec. 30, 2006, causing him to hyper-extend his knee. This accident resulted in a cracked tibia and bone bruise. Though his knee is still loose from the stretched tendons, Winder is looking forward to joining his team to expand on its first two-game winning streak.
Long before he joined the Pepperdine men’s volleyball team, Winder participated in many sports in high school, but eventually narrowed it down to his favorites, basketball and volleyball. His 6-foot-8-inch frame allows him the versatility to succeed in both sports, but as he prepared for college, he committed himself solely to volleyball.
“I can see more of a future with it,” he said. “I also like playing it casually, whereas basketball was more about the rush of the crowd.”
Pepperdine recruited Winder and won him over against stiff competition like UCLA and UC Irvine. Winder based his decision on Pepperdine’s combination of Christian faith and the academic and athletic reputation.
“The volleyball program is historically very good,” he said. He went on the boast about head coach Marv Dunphy as one of the best in the world. Dunphy was a “major influence” on his decision to attend Pepperdine.
During Winder’s freshman year, he was the “quarterback” of the team, Dunphy said. He added that Winder had a big load to carry then but was still smart and tough about it all.
Last year, the men’s volleyball team went 20-7 and was ranked sixth in the nation. With only one player lost last year, the team is gaining maturity and creating good team chemistry, Winder said.
This year, Winder is expected to improve drastically as he practices hard on locations, decision, and deceptions. He needs to be able to know the probability of every set and be able to fake out his opponents for better hitting situations. Winder’s performance will help improve the team’s chances for success.
“He is an elite athlete, and that means he is always interested in getting better,” Dunphy said.
Along with daily practices, Winder also finds time for school. He often has to reschedule tests or take them on the bus with him. He also studies and does homework on the bus rides traveling back and forth for away games. All Pepperdine athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 GPA, so Winder frequently relies on summer school classes to catch up on missed credits during the school year.
As if Winder’s schedule was not busy enough with daily practices, games and school, he also takes time to coach a high school boys’ volleyball team three times a week in Redondo Beach.
Volleyball not only allows Winder to register for classes early, but also enables better relationships with teachers, Winder said. Because of the good support from students and faculty, he communicates consistently with his professors for academic and athletic encouragement.
“Volleyball is a huge time commitment though,” he said. “You miss out on a lot of activities, but you have your best friends on the team with you.”
Winder is an advertising major, but wants to play professional volleyball in Europe after graduation.
“Europe is filled with good competition,” he said. Winder’s top choice of European teams – Italy, Belgium and Russia – give volleyball players the royal treatment, which resembles that of America’s NBA players.
“Unlike 20 years ago, men’s volleyball is the most talented and most competitive today,” Dunphy said about men’s volleyball’s rapid growth within college sports.
Since his arrival at Pepperdine three years ago, Winder has gained a new appreciation for school. While before it seems he was forced to learn, now he sees that academics and athletics play off of each other.
“Success in the classroom affects how you play on the court,” he said. “I am grateful I was able to come here.”
His competitive nature, which he said was passed down from his father, gives him the determination to succeed in both fields.
“Every aspect of my dad comes into play,” Winder said. “I know his legacy. I don’t want to stroll through life because that’s not what he did. It wouldn’t be honorable to my dad to walk through life and not try my best.”
This season brings upon new pressures as Winder steps up to the net and to help bring his team to victory.
01-18-2007