College Athletes

Do student athletes make the most of their opportunity to obtain a post-secondary education? Do they have the same academic success as those students that are not athletes? Are student athletes just “dumb jocks?” The answers to these questions might surprise you. Much research has been done to dispel the myth that athletes going to college are only there to play sports with little regard to their education. Programs have been created to assure that colleges and universities hold athletes to the same standards as the everyday student. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has decided that the “magic number” to put the “student” back into “student-athlete” is 925 (Hamilton).

Although most student athletes never become professionals, they spend excessive amounts of time playing sports neglecting their education. There are many possible solutions to balance academics with athletics. One possible solution may be to screen perspective student athletes before accepting them into

The NCAA believes “that a student-athlete is a student first and athlete second.” Student-athletes benefit more than from playing a sport that they love. The graduation rate is higher among the student athletes than the general student body. “NCAA studies show that student-athletes enjoy high levels of engagement in academics, athletics and community: have positive feeling about their overall athletics and academic experiences: attribute invaluable life skills to being a student-athlete: and are more likely to earn similar or higher wages after college than non-student athletes.”

Athletic programs in college have grown tremendously since they first began years ago, and now some believe that collegiate athletics have no place in higher education. Contrary to this, if one takes a closer look they see that college athletics do play a valuable role in higher education and should continue to play a part in the college experience. Students who participate in college athletics help carry out their school’s traditions, and by competing at such a high level they have the chance to put their school on the map. While competing, these people handle the load of a full-time college student and learn to be responsible and reliable. Some see college athletics as just a business, but truly they provide an opportunity for young adults to compete in the sport that they love, while getting an education and learning lessons that will last a lifetime.

College athletes are known more because of their sports rather than what they are actually majoring in. College athletes put in immense effort and time towards the sport. They make the sport their main priority and manage their lives primarily around the team and sport they are playing. Many college athletes, especially basketball and football players are recruited to become a part of college level team. The athletes decide what college to go to by evaluating the prestige of the sports programs rather than the college itself. For many college athletes is a platform to play the sport they are passionate about. In addition to their passion for the sport, college athletes also put in effort and time towards their respective sports.

Athletes in college receives a lot of attention, through their practices and performance on and off the field.be. They uplift the names of their colleges and give it a name that would otherwise not be acquired. They make their college mates proud of their college, and they may boost enrolment of many others, which would benefit the school. Athletics stand a position to earn a school other benefits, not only to the players but other students too. They may win study scholarships for their school mates by their exemplary performance (Owens et al 20).

Organized sports offer an opportunity for students to get a structural athletic experience while also achieving a college education at the same time. Student athletes must have the ability to balance the roles of being both a full-time student and athlete. Although college athletes are ammeters and not professionals they inhabit all the qualities that professional athletes have. The NCAA and all colleges sell merchandise that have everything to do with the athletes, while they are not getting any cut whatsoever. College athletes think they should get paid because of how much money they bring to the school.

“Big time college sports... selects athletes mainly for their athletics, not academics, interests, and abilities” this shows that in reality colleges view athletes more as “athletes-students” than “student-athletes” (Eckard 211). This only goes to show why the graduation rate for college athletes is so low. However higher education make their graduation rate seem more favorable so that they can continue to get and recruit more skilled amateur players to generate millions of dollars for their facilities. Although some may say colleges do a effective job of taking care of and graduating their student-athletes, conversely colleges’ student athletes graduation rate is low and the student athletes don't get what they desire. If colleges start putting the students first in the term “student-athletes” then there would be more college student-athletes making the grade.

ll. College Athletes are inherently better off with accepting scholarships versus a salary while participating in sports.

College athletes are finally getting attention on the fact that they are not paid. I believe that whether or not it is college or pro sports they deserve a salary. These players put their heart and soul on the field and get nothing in return. In the articles “Athletes New Day” by Paul Marx and “College Athletes Should Not Be Paid” by Warren Hartenstine, the reasons for college athletes to be paid are very evident. No matter the case, if the students move on to pro sports or not after college, they should be entitled to some pay for their contributions. College athletes deserve to be compensated for their playtime in these sports, sales of products with their name on it, and even compensation for their injuries.

College level competitive sports have many beneficial factors that follow its path for students. On the top of the list is leadership development. Once in the real world where you have to take initiative at a certain job or internship to move up the ladder for the bosses watchful eyes, these skills can be developed experience from college athletics programs. "Sports are educational in the best sense of that word because they teach the participant and the observer new truths about testing oneself and others, about the enduring values of challenge and response, about teamwork, about discipline and perseverance. Above all, intercollegiate contests — at any level of skill — drive home a fundamental lesson: goals worth achieving will be attained only through effort, hard work and sacrifice, and sometimes even those will not be enough to overcome the obstacles life places in our path." (Grace Chen)

Over 460,000 college students participate in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the United States but research on the cohort is quantitatively and qualitatively unsupportive of athletes on and off the field. Athletes make up a particularly stimulating population for mental health professionals as athletes and their teams operate within their own culture and systems allowing for mental health professionals to expand their innovative skills to deal with the multidimensional realm of “no pain, no gain”. There is stereotype threat that follows athletes, the idea that athletes are less motivated in the classroom and over privileged in comparison to their student peers. In turn, peers and professors alike create their own biases towards or against the benefit of the student athlete; not allowing make up assignments for class time missed due to collegiate athletic events or, on the other end of the spectrum, giving preferential treatment to athletes (in turn perpetuating the negative stereotype). Although research indicates this threat to be strong, research also indicates that the stereotype is seemingly unfounded. Student athletes are recruited into university less academically prepared and must devote upwards of 20 hours a week to their sport while the graduation rate for student athletes (51%) is virtually equal to that of non-student athletes (52%). (Fletcher)

Recent studies have demonstrated the powerful impact of transformational learning on feelings of cynicism among college students (Duarte, 2010). Transformational learning within the student-athlete population has not been empirically studied, although the potential benefits are enormous as student-athletes have been found to experience feelings of cynicism throughout their collegiate careers, despite initial feelings of optimism (Adler & Adler, 1985). The commercialized nature of intercollegiate athletics today presents a unique environment in which to implement effective student-athlete focused career development interventions. Student-athletes face developmental difficulties unique to the student-athlete experience within a socially, athletically, and academically micromanaged context (Duarte, 2010). Transformational learning can exist as a byproduct of emancipatory learning, which can help student-athletes navigate the demands of conflicting roles, reflect critically, and negotiate profound transitions. Transformational learning has the potential to enhance student-athlete specific career development initiatives. The barriers of transformational learning among the student-athlete population will be examined within a social, developmental, and psychological context. The Five-Step Career Planning Strategy considers all aspects of an athlete’s life, which may help student-athletes balance their conflicting roles, while encouraging perspective transformation (Stambulova,

Student athletes choose careers that are sport-related, remaining in their identity of athletes. Athletes who consider only the sport-related careers, and no other careers exhibit identity foreclosure (Linnemeyer & Brown, 2010). In this present paper, the identity of student athletes and the effect on their career choices is investigated. It is hypothesized that student athletes base their identity on athletics rather than academics, thus narrowing choices in career. The following five literature reviews attempt to support this hypothesis.

College athletes are trained to have a particular behavior which sets them to strive for success and lead them to benefit themselves. “College athletes are highly motivated and live a healthier lifestyle due to their condition they’re supposed to keep. In order for students to even be on college teams, they must be goal oriented and constantly be working at those goals” (Sorenson). This benefits students because it encourages students to have goals for their academics as well. “Your sleep patterns will fluctuate throughout the school year. There will be