A Student-Athlete's Perspective: Ennis Coble

An outfielder on the Dartmouth baseball team, senior Ennis Coble was named first-team All-Ivy as a designated hitter in 2012. He enters his final season for the Big Green with a career .329 batting average with 133 hits and 79 RBI.

1. When you think of the history and accomplishments of African-Americans in our country, what jumps out in your mind?
Coble: What initially jumps out in my mind is the fact that in 50 years we, as a country, have gone from segregation -- with the help of people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young, and Rosa Parks -- to electing our first African- American President, but in my opinion, we still have so far to go. Secondly what jumps out to me is the fact that African-American history is still treated like a history that is separated from American history. The two are inextricably intertwined and should be treated as such. However, I am forever thankful for the accomplishments of our African-American forefathers and mothers, because without them the ability to be a student-athlete at an Ivy League school like Dartmouth College might not be possible.

2. What do you enjoy and what are the challenges in your current experiences as an African-American student-athlete on an Ivy League campus?
Coble: I enjoy being able to receive an Ivy League education at Dartmouth College as well as play baseball, the sport I love, which has always been a part of my life. I also enjoy that, purely based on the fact that I am able to go to college, I have the ability to serve as a role model to other African-American youth in America. One challenge I experience as an African-American student-athlete is the feeling that I am very visible both on the field and in the classroom. For this reason, I feel like I am seen as the voice of all African-Americans , but what some people fail to realize is the fact that my experience is a singular one, and is not necessarily shared by all African-Americans. On the field, being highly visible makes me feel that I must be perfect, because sometimes I am the only African-American on the field.

3. As you reflect on Black History month, talk about one person who has influenced your life and why?
Coble: One person who has influenced me a lot was my high school assistant baseball coach, Stan Wise. I would not be where I am without him. He taught me to not only be the best baseball player I could be, but to also be the best human. He taught me about forgiveness and that failure is a part of life and a part of the game of baseball. He told me not to allow anyone to tell me that I can’t do something, and that hard work both in the classroom and on the field is more valuable than the talents we have. Stan Wise instilled in me the need to be great and I am forever thankful for him.

4. What do you feel is your role in being a leader or role model as African-American student-athlete on your campus and in your communities both at school and at home?
Coble: My role as a leader/role model on campus is to be a role model to my teammates and all students/ student-athletes on campus, not only the African-American students. As an African-American student-athlete I want to serve as a role model for the children I mentor at Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color (DACC) especially my Lil Sib Edmond. I want my legacy as a student-athlete at Dartmouth to serve as a model for student-athletes back home in and around Atlanta. I want them to look at my career and see that they can also succeed at whatever institution they choose.

5. Projecting forward, what is one thing you would like to achieve or be part of once you graduate to advance the African-American ideal for future generations?
Coble: I'm honestly not sure what the African-American ideal is, but one thing I would like to achieve is giving more African-Americans the chance to be a part of the American ideal. I want every African-American to know that, regardless of what people say, they have the ability to succeed at anything they put their mind to. I know that we are far from that realization, but I will work as hard as I can to advance the belief that the African-American ideal is also the American ideal. I would also like to help African-American baseball players have the same opportunity I had. I want to increase the number of African-American baseball players not only in the Ivy League, but also at other top academic institutions in America.