Discussion Post

In light of what I read in Chapter 9 regarding academic fraud involving college
athletes (Covell & Barr, 2010), I do not think that the NCAA should play a greater role in
controlling the processes of admission into college sports at individual schools. I also do not
think that greater control by the NCAA would ensure increased uniformity of college
athletes’ academic preparedness. I think that allowing the NCAA to control admission
processes at individual schools would amount to the organization overstepping its
supervisory and oversight mandate. I am of the view that things should remain as they are,
whereby the role of the NCAA is to set the eligibility standards for recruitment into college
sports, standards that bind all NCAA member schools, while actual recruitment is the role of
individual athletic departments in NCAA member schools (NCAA Resources, 2020).
On the question of whether greater NCAA control will ensure improved academic
preparedness among college athletes, I disagree. On the contrary, available evidence shows
that what student-athletes want as far as their academics are concerned is greater support
from their academic or faculty advisors, not their athletic advisor (Huml, Hancock, &
Bergman, 2014). They also want to interact more with other college students, not to be
isolated from them. These were some of the findings of a study that sought to investigate how
student-athletes perceived the academic resources and staff support services availed to them
through stand-alone athletic, academic centers. Greater NCAA involvement in admission
processes and in the academic affairs of student-athletes is likely to result in an environment
where student-athletes are more isolated from the rest of the college community, contrary to
their wishes.

Question 2
Compared to other students, college sports place greater and unique demands on
student-athletes. Besides attending their classes, student-athletes must take part in campus
events, train, practice, travel for matches, attend sport-related physical therapy, and memorize
game plans and team plays (Rich, Kungu, & Boolani, 2020). When in season, some student-
athletes spend over forty hours a week on their sport-related activities. With these demands
on their time, student-athletes have little time left for studying and socializing. No wonder
empirical evidence shows that student-athletes score poorly on all measures of student
experiences: Involvement in University Life, Social Enrichment Experiences, and Academic
Use of the Library (Rich et al., 2020; TEDx Talks, 2017).
While colleges and universities have done much to avail student-athlete development
resources like career planning, mainly through athletic, academic centers, these are yet to be
developed enough. Integration of student-athletes with the rest of the campus community
remains lacking (Rich et al., 2020). For instance, the evidence available from a study of 196
student-athletes shows that spending time in the academic development center hinders
student-athletes ability to study, participate in campus life, interact with their lecturers and
undertake community service (Huml et al., 2014).
Going forward, these facts should influence athlete development protocols. Beyond
player development, the traditional concern of athletic, academic centers, and athlete
development professionals, athlete development programs must factor in personal
development, which is just as important and whose components include, among others,
athletic identity and social relationships outside the sports fraternity (Newton, Gill, &
Reifsteck, 2020; The University of Florida, n.d.). Personal development positively impacts
the athlete’s life both during her active sports life and after she has retired from active sports.

References

Covell, D., & Barr, C. A. (2010). Managing Intercollegiate Athletics. Scottsdale: Holcomb
Hathaway.
Huml, M. R., Hancock, M. G., & Bergman, M. J. (2014). Additional Support or Extravagant
Cost? Student-Athletes’ Perceptions on Athletic Academic Centers. Journal of Issues
in Intercollegiate Athletics, 7, 410-430.
NCAA Resources. (2020, April 17). INSIDE THE NCAA: Adjusting Initial-Eligibility
Requirements. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuR-
SXEJ8eo
Newton, J., Gill, D. L., & Reifsteck, E. (2020). Athletc Identty: Complexity of the “Iceberg”.
Journal of Athlete Development and Experience, 2(2), 69-82.
Rich, G., Kungu, K., & Boolani, A. (2020). Student-Athletes at a Historically Black
University (HBU): Examining the Relatonship Between Student-Engagement on
Campus and Career Situaton Awareness. Journal of Athlete Development and
Experience, 2(2), 83-102.
TEDx Talks. (2017, June 2). Athletes and Mental Health: The Hidden Opponent | Victoria
Garrick | TEDxUSC. Retrieved from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdk7pLpbIls
The University of Florida. (n.d.). Whai is Athlete Development Literacy? Gainesville:
University of Florida.