Student athlete: Difference between revisions

'''Student athlete''' (or '''student&ndash;athlete''') is a term used principally in universities in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] to describe students enrolled at postsecondary educational institutions, principally colleges and universities, but also at secondary schools, who participate in an organized competitive sport sponsored by that educational institution or school. The term ''student-athlete'' was coined in 1964 by [[Walter Byers]], the first executive director of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA).<ref>{{cite news| publisher=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/?single_page=true |title=The Shame of College Sports |first=Taylor |last=Branch |author-link1=Taylor Branch |date=October 2011 |accessdateaccess-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> The term is also interchangeable with the synonymous term “[[Varsity team|varsity athlete]]”.

[[Competitive]] intermural sports were introduced in post-secondary education in the United States in the nineteenth century. The first popular collegiate sport was crew, but football began its reign as the leading collegiate sport in the late 1880s.<ref name="newdir">"New Directions for Student Services Volume 2001, Issue 93, Article First Published Online: 15 NOV 2002." Who Are Student-Athletes? Web. March 23, 2012. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ss.1/pdf</ref> As interest in football increased, so did injuries incurred in competition. The NCAA was born out of President Theodore Roosevelt's demand to reform college football. <ref name="newdir"/>

The relationship between educational institutions and sports has been controversial since the 1930s, with media coverage of sports generating significant revenue for schools in broadcast rights for school sports programs and increased enrollment resulting from athletic team success. <ref> "The Value of Funding Athletics." The Montana Professor Academic Journal. Web. March 23, 2012. http://mtprof.msun.edu/Fall2003/dfull.html</ref> Concerns about the role of intercollegiate athletics in post-secondary education and the conflicting demands faced by student-athletes remain.<ref name="newdir"/>

An athletic scholarship is a form of support for tuition, room, board, and related costs awarded to an individual based predominantly on ability in sport. Educational institutions may offer athletic scholarships to potential students that excel in sports and meet specific educational achievement standards. Student-athletes must be [[amateurs]] and may not participate in professional competition. Special treatment or incentives beyond the scope of the scholarships themselves are banned. <ref>[http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/cs-080404-dwyane-wade-richards-high-school,1,532489.story Richards High School right to reject Dwyane Wade rendezvous]</ref> The scholarships generally include academic support such as tutoring and library services.<ref>Lorenzen, M., & Lucas, N. (2002). Introducing first-year student-athletes to the library: The Michigan State University experience. In J. Nims and A. Andrew (Eds.), "First impressions, lasting impact: Introducing the first-year student to the academic library" (pp. 95-100). Ann Arbor, MI: Pierian Press.</ref>

Scholarships are regulated by organizations such as the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA), the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) and the [[National Junior College Athletic Association]] (NJCAA). They set requirements such as a minimum academic performance for scholarship recipients (typically a [[grade point average]]), and a limit to the number of scholarships for players on college rosters. Each level (divisions) have different limits of scholarship money they can give out. Division III can not give out scholarships for athletics though. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.college-athletic-scholarships.com/what_college_coaches_need_to_know_about_you.htm |title=How to Get an Athletic Scholarship |publisher=College-athletic-scholarships.com |access-date=2013-10-16}}</ref><ref> "College Sports Recruiting Information and Resources." The Athlete's Guide to College Sports Scholarships and The Athletic Recruiting Process. Web. February 26, 2012. http://www.athleticaid.com/AthleticScholarshipInformation.html</ref><ref>[http://www.kcci.com/news/15784125/detail.html Controversial Student-Athlete Rules Changed]</ref>

NCAA regulations govern amateur status, and prohibit student-athletes from accepting prize money or compensation or sports agent representation.<ref name="NCAA">{{cite web|last=NCAA|first=NCAA|title=Amateurism|url=https://www.ncaa.org/amateurism|access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref> Prospective student-athletes at NCAA schools have their academic credentials and amateur status certified.<ref name="hosick1">{{cite web|last=Hosick|first=Michelle Brutlag|title=NCAA Eligibility Center up to the task|url=https://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2010+news+stories/November/NCAA+Eligibility+Center+up+to+the+task|access-date=28 March 2012}}</ref>

The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies whether prospective college athletes are eligible to play sports at NCAA Division I or II institutions. It reviews the student-athlete's academic record, SAT or ACT scores, and amateur status to ensure [[conformity]] with NCAA rules.<ref>"College Board." NCAA Eligibility Basics. Web. March 02. 2012. http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/prepare/athletes/clearinghouse</ref> To be eligible for an athletic scholarship in aan NCAA member institution, students must meet four main requirements: 1. Graduate from high school; 2. Complete the required number of core high school courses; 3. Earn a specified minimum GPA on a 4.0 scale in required core academic courses; 4. Achieve a specified minimum SAT or ACT score.<ref>"Athletic Scholarships." COLLEGEdata. Web. March 24. 2012. http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10121</ref>

The Student Athlete Performance Rating (SAPR) <ref name="uiowa1">"SAPR - Student Athletic Performance Rating." Untitled Document. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. http://www.sociology.uiowa.edu/bestschoolsforathletes/sapr.htm</ref> and Academic Progress Rate (APR) are used to measure student-athlete academic performance.

The Academic Progress Rate is an NCAA tool that measures the success of a program's athletes toward graduation. It takes into account academic eligibility and retention.<ref> "SHOW ME THE RECORDS: Academic Progress Rate." - Columbia Missourian. Web. March 12, 2012. http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/02/03/andrew-wagaman-adv-reporting-show-me-records/</ref> Division I sports teams calculate their student-athletes APRs each academic year; it serves as a predictor of graduation success.

Gaining access to athletic programs and athletic scholarships can be difficult.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Holland|first1=Kelley|last2=Schoen|first2=John|title=Fantasy Football: College Scholarship Myths Busted|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/13/think-athletic-scholarships-are-a-holy-grail-think-again.html|website=cnbc.com|publisher=CNBC|access-date=December 10, 2017|date=2014-10-13}}</ref> Few high school athletes earn college scholarships, and only a small percentage of athletic scholarships cover a student's tuition, room, board, and related expenses. <ref name=":0" /> Only about 2% of high school athletes earn an athletic scholarship to an NCAA university and, on average, these scholarships are far less than the average tuition. Only 1% of students get a full ride scholarship.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-30 |title=Athletic Scholarship Facts {{!}} Get an Athletic Scholarship |url=https://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting/how-to-get-recruited/scholarship-facts |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=www.ncsasports.org |language=en-US}}</ref> The student athletes must meet the NCAA eligibility standards, and failure to meet these standards and complete academic work can jeopardize the student athlete's ability to compete, receive scholarships, and graduate from the institution at which they are enrolled.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Carodine|first1=Keith|last2=Almond|first2=Kevin F.|last3=Gratto|first3=Katherine K.|date=2001-03-01|title=College Student Athlete Success Both In and Out of the Classroom|journal=New Directions for Student Services|volume=2001|issue=93|pages=19–33|doi=10.1002/ss.2|issn=1536-0695}}</ref>

Student-athletes also face challenges relating to identity, with self-worth often hinging on athletic success.<ref name="kissinger" /> <ref name="seelke1">{{cite web |last=Seelke |first=John |title=Pressures mount for student-athletes |url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/1995/10/pressures-mount-student-athletes |publisher=The Chronicle |date=1995-10-05}}</ref>

[[Title IX]] of the [[Education Amendments of 1972]], commonly known simply as Title IX, is a United States law enacted on June 23, 1972, that states: "No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was designed to balance the amount of money spent on men's and women's sports. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy took a serious interest in women's athletics and was a champion of Title IX. <ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=httphttps://sportswww.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4424129 |title=The late Sen. Ted Kennedy left a lasting impact on sports with his steady support of Title IX - ESPN |publisher=Sports.espn.go.com[[ESPN]] |date=2009-08-26 |access-date=2013-10-16}}</ref> "Over time, he played the leading role in keeping Title IX strong through the Senate, using his stature and his savvy to ensure that it remained strong protection for women in athletics," said Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center. "As his leadership in the Senate grew, his responsibility for ensuring that Title IX remained strong and enforced grew. He became the dominant force behind the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, which virtually re-enacted Title IX after a devastating, narrow Supreme Court decision, which among other things, removed Title IX coverage from all intercollegiate athletics; in this country." Greenberger contends that Title IX might not have survived without Kennedy's guardianship, and thus the sports world as it is today might be vastly different. The increased opportunities for female athletes can be witnessed in college and high school athletics programs and, in turn, have helped spawn professional leagues and greater participation and success at the Olympic level.<ref name="autogenerated2"/>

At the Division I level, the most recent Graduation Success Rate measurement is 86 percent, which is the highest ever. This score is 15 percent better than the initial record in 1984.<ref name= "GSR"/> Overall, athletes graduated at a higher rate than their non-athletic peers. Graduation rates of athletes and non-athletes vary based on demographics. <ref name="GSR" >{{cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/graduation-success-rate-continues-climb |title=Graduation Success Rate Continues to Climb |publisher=ncaa.org |access-date=2017-10-26|date=2015-11-04 }}</ref>

Division II uses the Academic Success Rate, which is different than the Graduation Success Rate used by the Division I level. The Academic Success Rate includes freshman athletes on a team who are not on an athletic scholarship. Division II athletes and Division II non-athletes perform at a relatively similar level. <ref name="GSR"/>

98% of collegiate athletes do not move on to professional sports after college. Many struggle. <ref>{{cite web|last1=Cheney Rice|first1=Zak|title=Here's what happens to the 98% of college athletes who don't go pro|url=https://mic.com/articles/85789/here-s-what-happens-to-the-98-of-college-athletes-who-don-t-go-pro#.lE1DY5oPt|work=[[Mic Network Inc.]]|date=19 March 2014 }}</ref>

* [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/ The Shame of College Sports] - Taylor Branch, The Atlantic, September 077, 2011

*O'Shaughnessy, Lynn. "8 things you should know about sports scholarships". cbsnews.com. Accessed December 13, 2017.