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Friday, April 22, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Sunflower Girls give 'a little extra'
By DAVID JOHNSON
Staff Renorter
No doubt some of the credit for attracting young athletes to the University of Kansas goes to the football program, the coaches, the living facilities and the University itself. But a group partly responsible for attending recruits to KU may not be so visible.
The group is the Sunflower girls-12 girls who escort prospective recruits to games
Head football coach Bud Moore suggested the idea of the Sunflower Girls two years ago when he came to KU from Alabama. At that time, Moore said the girls could show a recruit some aspects of the University that a coach couldn't.
BESIDES HELPING to recruit football players, the girls also help with the Jayhawk Golf Classic in the spring, work in the press box during football and basketball games, and act as hostesses during other events. Skyrwriters such as the Big Flight Skyrwriters tour.
But their main role, as co-captain Janet Gorman, Kansas City, Kan., junior, says is to sell the University to the prospective recruits.
"I have a strong attachment to the university," she said recently. "I feel I am supposed to have something."
How they accomplish their goal of selling U and its athletic programs, with some 60 percent of the total revenue in Eubanks.
"I don't want people to think that we go to bed with them to get them to sign."
Wichita sophomore, said she stressed KU's academic program.
"ONE THING a lot of students don't realize is athletes have other goals besides going into a professional sport," she said. "They're also looking at the academic
For Bonita Gooch, Wichita graduate student, the athletic program has a lot of appeal, especially the Jayhawker Towers athletics where most scholarship athletes live.
Captain Wendy Smith, Fort Myers, Fla,
senior, said she didn't have any problems
convincing prospects of the attractiveness
of KU.
"Selling people on the university is easy, just keep telling them," she said. "People see it and then just love it."
ALTHOUGH TECHNIQUE may differ, the girls seem to have a common ingredient—enthusiasm. In cases where an athlete may be comparing KU with five or more schools, enthusiasm can make the difference.
"They (the athletic department) feed them steaks. We need to get去steaks Goch and
Hunk Hettower, who helped organize the program when he was recruiting and academic coordinator, agreed that enthusiasm was a high priority when selecting
"We're looking for a young lady with personality, who understands athletics," he said. "A young lady with time. Someone genuinely interested in the athletic program."
THE GRLRS are selected in the spring by buttress, the Sunflower Girl captain and an assistant.
Although they get free season tickets to the football and basketball games and uniforms, the girls also can borrow books from the athletic department book room, Gooch said sk. "don't use the privilege of going to the athletic departments aren't into the same classes I'm into."
GORMAN, a public relations major, said he enjoyed meeting people and telling
"They (the athletic department) feed them steaks, but they're going to get steaks anywhere."
them about the University
"Most of them are pretty scared," she said. "They're seniors in high school, and a lot of them come from small towns. They don't ask to ask us question, maybe, a speech."
Despite the age difference, Gooch, who is studying public administration, and she had made friends with some of her prospects. She still sees a group of athletes and their families when she goes to Kansas City, she said.
Eubanks said she was impressed with the noise, intelligence and maturity of the students.
"THEY'RE UNDER a lot of pressure to make a decision," she said. "But they're all diplomats, really. When you ask them what advice they give, when you ask them, they'll say, 'Mmm, it's very nice.'"
Naturally there are times when the
similarity between prospect and escort isn't
good.
There also are other occasions when an athlete has the impression that his escort is a date for the weekend. Gooch said she never had any problem with athletes being aggressive because she set them straight from the beginning.
"I tell them I'm not interested in being a date, and if they want a date I have some other ideas."
bed with them to get them to sign," Smith said.
Although she has on occasion gone to a local bar and met the recruit with his football host, Smith said it was up to each girl if she wanted to date the prospect.
"I don't want people to think that we go to
"If you just give the minimum it's not
enough. If you give the maximum it's
girl puts it a little easier." Most of
the girls put it a little easier.
Gooch agreed that it was up to the girl
be how much effort she applied to each
room.
The "minimum" includes sitting with the athlete and his friends or family at football games during unofficial visits. After the game, the girls go with their prospective recruits to talk to the coaches at the Victory Club, a post-game social gathering.
early Sunday morning to be at the training table by 9:30.
According to Gooch, part of the "little extra" that the girls put in is getting up
Although it would be difficult to say how many recruits the girls have influenced in coming to KU, Hettwer said the Sunflower Girls had brought "tremendous response" from prospects and parents.
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