Jan. 9, 2006
Indianapolis, Ind. - Current Pepperdine men's water polo head coach and former All-American and Olympian Terry Schroeder was one of six former NCAA student-athletes who were presented with the 2006 Silver Anniversary Award at the NCAA Honors Celebration over the weekend in Indianapolis.
The award recognizes former student-athletes who completed successful collegiate careers in various sports 25 years ago and went on to excel in their chosen professions.
The winners were selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, composed of eight athletics administrators and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes. In addition to Schroeder, this year's Silver Anniversary Award honorees include Valerie B. Ackerman (University of Virginia, basketball); Danny Ainge (Brigham Young University, basketball); Charles E. Davis (Vanderbilt University, basketball); Michael Singletary (Baylor University, football); and Susan D. Wellington (Yale University, swimming and diving, and softball).
Schroeder was the leading scorer for the Waves during three of his four years. While competing at Pepperdine, he was selected to the United States national water polo team. Schroeder is the only four-time U.S. water polo Olympian in history, earning two silver medals. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he was selected to carry the United States flag for Team USA in the closing ceremonies.
Twice named the best water polo player in the world by Swimming World magazine, Schroeder has been the men's head water polo coach at Pepperdine since 1986. In his 20 years as head coach, he has led the team to eight NCAA championship appearances and one title, and has coached more than 20 all-Americans and one Olympian, compiling a .607 winning percentage overall. Schroeder also has worked as a water polo color analyst for TBS Sports, Prime Network, USA Cable and Bud Sports.
He gradated magna cum laude with a degree in sports medicine and later attended chiropractic school. Currently in private practice as a chiropractor, Schroeder and his wife Lori, also a chiropractor, donate their services to numerous organizations including the Special Olympics, the YMCA and several schools, as well as providing complimentary care to underprivileged patients. Schroeder designed and developed a posture-friendly backpack for children and donates hundreds of the "Posture Packs" to needy children nationwide.
Schroeder. who co-chairs the Barbara Bush "Project Literacy for the United States," is a champion for children and the underprivileged. He works as an inspirational, motivational and instructional speaker at various camps, clinics, schools and civic organizations, and for 19 years has donated sessions of summer water polo camps to charity organizations.