Student Athletes Should Be A Leader

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).

It is my job as a coach to help develop athletes physically, psychologically, and socially while helping them have fun by playing a sport. I will do this by being enthusiastic and having a positive attitude in practice, games, and while not coaching. This cooperative approach to coaching will create a sense of community within the team I coach, and the athletes will feel more welcome to discuss their thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns with me. Creating this setting and relationships with athletes will only benefit the team by creating a team culture necessary for the well-being and success of high school sports’ teams. Success in sports means accomplishing goals set by the team, not winning. Winning is important, but just striving to win is even more vital toward the success of teams. As a coach, I will also be a motivator for athletes. Athletes will see me come to practice with a positive attitude, displaying my passion. This is the beginning of how I will motivate athletes. Motivation starts with my attitude, and athletes pick up on this. In order to motivate and want to be motivated, there must be a reason, a why? I will use the teams’ goals they will set, in order to motivate them to give their best effort in order to achieve success by reaching their

The Student-Athlete Leadership Team is a program that was designed in order to develop the leadership skills of our student-athletes and will be facilitated by North Atlanta High School’s own Andre Regan. The student-athletes are nominated by their respective head coaches, most of which are team captains. The basics of the Citizen Leader Framework are leading self, leading with others, and changing your world are the core of the leadership model created by Andre Regan and so many other coaches nationwide. Discussion topics will include accountability, self-awareness, resiliency, communication, collaboration, and empathy with and for teammates and coaches, in hopes that the Student-Athlete can help their team on and off the playing field.

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.”

For a lot of kids, it’s not until it’s all said and done, and they look back on it several years later, that they realize the difference the sport made in their lives. They are proud of playing the game. Have you ever met anybody who accomplished playing four years of high school football, and at the end of that run said, ‘Man, I wish I wouldn’t have played’? It doesn’t get said. Football players aren’t perfect. Nobody is. But millions of former players, one by one, can recount the life-altering principles they learned from football. They know the value of football is the values in football.That’s why high school football – and particularly high school coaches – play such a vital role in our society. Our football coaches are on the front lines of the battle for the hearts and minds of the boys in our society.

Its no secret that college sports brings in the big bucks, and without the athletes preforming day in or day out universities would lack the funds to support a school needs. The college sports industry makes 11 billion in annual revenues (Mitchell, Horace, U.S. News Digital Weekly). 11 billion dollars made off of college sports alone is enough its self to pay these student-athletes for their contribution to a school’s success because without them there wouldn’t be this much income. They need these athletes and the NCAA should quit exploiting them for their talents and compensate them. Student-athletes are amateurs who choose to participate in intercollegiate athletics (Mitchell, Horace, U.S. News Digital Weekly). Indeed, they are amateur but in sports the word professional has a different meaning since in all sports there is a 1-2-year stint before an athlete can go from the college level to a professional standpoint. Meaning it only takes a year or two

They need to make sure that they give enough attention to sports as well as academics, they also need to work hard to manage their time to be able to do both. In addition, student- athletes need to be dedicated to do both because they are held to a higher standard to where they are expected to be able to be both. In other words, schools should have athletes with a 2.5 GPA or higher to be able to play because it shows they want to play and they are willing to make the effort to keep up their

Being on the varsity basketball, soccer, and softball team all three years has been quite a journey. Learning how to manage the little free time I have being a student-athlete is a thing that ties directly into responsibility. I believe I am an exceptionally responsible adolescent for the reason that I always am able to create time for my academics. Although it may be at 11 P.M on the bus ride home, I know that my education is my first priority. My softball coach, Shane Jordan, always re enforces the saying, “You are a student before you are an athlete.” This will stick with me throughout the rest of my high school career. Being a part of many unique teams has taught me great amounts about unity as well. Caring about and being there for my teammates on and off the court/field is something I do

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.

student athletes, should be designed in a way that promotes academic progress as well as graduation.

Traditionally, a professional athlete’s main focus is to make money and provide for that individual and their family. If student-athletes were to be paid, they would not have to go professional to make money and could gain a better education by remaining in school. When referring to a student who takes part in athletics, the most commonly used phrase is “student athlete”. The American people who follow college sports tend to place more emphasis on the word athlete and less emphasis on the word student. Even though being a student is of great importance, college athletes generate millions of dollars for their prospective universities annually. Being a student is difficult enough and most college athletes do not have the time to devote

“Don’t walk through life just playing football. Don’t walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity and really making an impact on someone’s life, that’s the ultimate vision, that’s the bottom goal- bottom line.” –Ray Lewis. When Mr. Lewis talked about making an impact on somebodies life that means take control do anything that will make you and that person better. He was an athlete and understood that school was a way to the top and so should you. I’m not here to debate on whether you should make an impact on some one’s life I’m here to debate that student-athlete should be on honor roll to play in games.

Imagine you’re a teenager in a high school who is involved in athletics, and sports are the one thing you love doing the most. Now imagine that one day out of nowhere your sports team was cut, and the one thing that you so deeply loved you are no longer able to do. A lot of people wonder if sports are too much of a priority in schools, and whether or not they should be cut. Students disagree that sports are too much of a priority, and claim athletics make them the person that they are, and that they wouldn’t be the same without sports. School districts should not cut sport programs because they benefit students, they bring in money and publicity to the school, and it gives the students a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Although being involved in sports has the ability to build good character and morals, the problem is there is also bad character being developed by participating in high school sports. Many high school student-athletes are being pushed harder than ever before to win at all costs, which can result in poor character choices. Multiple points of view, both positive & negative, have been examined from coaches, parents, high school student-athletes, and high school students that are not athletes.

What do student athletes and coaches desire more of? What do teachers and administrators demand more of? School spirt answers both questions. Many schools across the nation do not grasp the importance of school spirit. School spirit has the power to perform miracles in the athletic and educational world, and schools have taken notice. Student athletes and coaches crave more school spirit because enthusiasm from a crowd provides a team with energy unattainable in any other circumstance. Teachers and administrators yearn for more school spirit because they wish for students to have a positive attitude when attending their school. What school district would not covet positive attitudes from their students? All schools need to