Roughly about 1% of collegiate athletes are successfully drafted into a professional league, while the average professional career lasts only about three years. As a result, approximately 99% of all collegiate athletes will face foreclosure of their athletic identity when graduating from college. As modification of higher education becomes more and more of a focal point for our country, sport psychologists have begun to focus their attention on athletes and their pursuit of exceptional athletic performance in elite sports and the extent to which this pursuit affects personal development. According to Lavallee (2005), previous research has found that collegiate athletes are more likely to have lower levels of career maturity and delayed career development than their non-athletic counterparts. In addition, researchers also found that collegiate athletes were less able to develop mature career and educational plans than other fellow college students. Therefore, this suggests that the education made available to collegiate athletes to develop career knowledge is lacking or incomplete; indicating that future research should be more focused on the personal development of athletes. In a study by Beamon (2012), the phenomenon of athletic identity and identity foreclosure following the retirement from sports was examined. Athletic identity can be defined as a social role or an occupational self-image incorporated of the social, behavioral, cognitive, and affective, obligations associated with athletic identification. Due to the entertainment nature of our culture, elite athletes are socially reinforced for their physical abilities and success. Unfortunately due to this, a majority of athletes conceptualize their identity and “self... ... middle of paper ... ...ntial stressors when competing. According to Nicholls & Polman (2007), the capability to cope with stress plays a significant part in how well an athlete performs during and out of competition. In line with this research, the self-efficacy construct has been found to impact how an individual appraises a situation and the corresponding way in which they cope. Self-efficacy can be defined as an individual’s beliefs about their ability to attain a certain outcome which is further expressed in their views about their capacity to execute a specific behavior or task. Since stress is a consistent and defining variable in sports and life outside of sports, it is crucial that athletes develop ways to successfully cope with stress and effectively implement these methods in order to avoid negative effects in competition and in life (Nicholls, Polman, Levy, & Borkoles, 2010).
The chances of becoming a professional athlete are very low, and the chances of getting injuries are high. Being an athlete could lead to you being unemployed. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, “Of the nearly 8 million students currently participating in high school athletics in the United States, only 480,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools” (Probability of competing beyond high school). Even though there are many student athletes, the number of spots for college sports is a lot less. This shows that you cannot rely on just your athletic skills because only a few athletes will make it, and become a college athlete. NCAA also found that of all the NCAA college football athletes only 1.6% become professional athletes (Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics). Even with the tiny chances of becoming a professional athlete, somehow you become a professional athlete, the chances of becoming injured are very high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated, “professional athletes were among five occupations that had more than 1,000 injuries per 10,000 workers. Athletes and sports competitors suffer more than 2,000 injuries per 10,000 workers” (Fitzgerald). This shows that after becoming one of the 480,000 NCAA college athletes and becoming some of the few professional athletes you still have a big chance of getting an injury that could end your career. Becoming a professional athlete is a very risky job that most student athletes might not even
Growing up in America sport is a vital part of everyday life. From childhood to adulthood some aspect of sport pertains to virtually everyone. As a child one is looking to find a hobby so they play sports. As a parent fathers look forward to coaching their child’s little league team. And as tens and young adults sports are an opportunity to become a “somebody” and do something amazing. The general perception in high school and college is that athletes have it all. If you’re good at sports then you don’t have to worry about schoolwork or popularity and essentially you have but not a care in the world; you are invincible. Although it is great to see some succeed and become professional athletes many others do not have the same fate. The fate of these athletes, which happens to be the majority, is what drives my opinion on college sport.
It is becoming more and more a trend for high school and underclassmen basketball players to forgo their college eligibility to enter the NBA draft. Most professional sports have restrictions to limit mentally and physically immature players from throwing away their college education to be unsuccessful in the professional ranks. In the National Football League, NCAA football players are not allowed to declare for the pro draft unless they have been in the school’s program for at least three years. In professional baseball and hockey, although they do draft players straight from high school, they have a minor league system set up. These minor leagues allow players the time to develop and still play against an excellent level of competition. This helps their growth process so that when they get into the real big leagues, they are somewhat ready to play and be a factor.
...make time to study, be involved in college campus activities, work part-time and participate in athletics in order to succeed. Not having to deal with the pressures and status of being a paid professional will allow the student-athlete to focus more on the sport than on all the legalities of the sport. Leaning to set goals and achieve them as a student-athlete will help them become a well rounded individual.
A handful of athletes will have a chance to turn pro before they have completed their college career. Job-wise there is nothing better than getting paid for doing something that you truly love and enjoy. There is nothing wrong with players doing everything in their power to make them go pro. However it is a decision bound with peril.
However, what this argument does not take into account is that athletes have an abundance of pressure put on them that most non-athletes don’t ever experience. Hence, the saying, “go hard or go home”. A recent study emphasizes this fact as McClatchy notes, ”The researchers monitored mood levels of 465 collegiate athletes over three years and found 6.3 percent of the athletes met the criteria for clinically significant depression and 24 percent were considered ‘clinically relevant’ “ (2016). Studies like these prove that athletes are not blind to the idea of depression, but rather experience this disorder themselves. Anxiety has a huge role in depression. As sportsperson, there is constant effort to become an awe-inspiring player. As the stakes of the game raise, so does the anxiety. Some want a scholarship, some want to show off what they offer to a team that got a scholarship, and some are professionals. Regardless of whether it's grade school sport or a professional sport, failing at personal goals one set is down right depressing. Kearns and Hwang state that, ”While it’s not clear whether the source of challenges to a student-athlete's mental well-being is the same as those non-athletes, collegiate athletes are known to encounter unique stressor that the general population doesn’t have to deal with, such as the demands, relationships with coaches and missed scheduled classes” (2014). Pressure is something everyone experiences. However, athletes experience some of the same pressure that of non-athletes and then some. Being on a sports team is demanding to time and the idea of being “superior”. In athletics, coaches are everything. For example, If a coach likes how a person attributes as a team player, then that person will get a chance to shine. However, if the coach is not very fond of one, then the chances of opportunities are not very
“No one blows through money faster than millionaires with nothing to do.” -Unknown. This is true regarding the experiences of millionaires, but is it true with professional sports players? With athletes not finishing college, they don’t get the opportunities they would if they received full education. Arguably, the most educated player in the MLB is Craig Breslow on the Boston Red Sox. He was accepted into medical school before becoming a professional athlete. He had a major in biophysics and biochemistry, which he earned at Yale University. He was asked the question, “Where would you be if you weren’t a professional athlete?” Breslow replied saying he would be graduating medical school or hopefully have already graduated. Professional athletes should finish college before going pro because it secures their future. It teaches the younger generation maturity and the value of knowledge.
College athletes comprise the unique part of the college community but their problems often remain underestimated since their success in their sports overshadows difficulties, which they may and do confront in terms of their integration into the college community. In this regard, the social background of college athletes is one of the major challenges for their successful integration because they are from low-income families mainly and a large part of college athletes represents minorities, such as African Americans. As a result, the social background of college athletes is substantially different from that of the majority of college students, who are predominantly white and middle-class. At this point, it is possible to refer to the book Backboard and Blackboards by Patricia A. Adler and Peter Adler, where the author explore issues that college students confront at college. The authors reveal numerous difficulties and challenges college athletes may confront at college and suggest their explanation of those difficulties. However, the book makes obvious the gap that persists between college athletes and the rest of the college community because of the different social background of college athletes, their different interests and priorities, which make them not only different from other students but also contribute to certain marginalization of college students within their college communities.
College athletes have a goal that they pursue. The jump to the professional sports leagues is an accomplishment that most college athletes wanted to achieve. But most college athletes go to college and forego completing their senior year and don’t get a degree. In basketball most athletes are one and done. This means they go to college for only one year then enter the NBA draft. For the NFL players have to be out of high school for three years and necessarily don’t have to go to college.
Unfortunately, it is a sad fact that many of these talented players are not receiving degrees either in their desired field or simply in general. The NCAA began recording the graduation rates of student-a...
College athletes are not forced into playing the sport that they have devoted their time to during their years in secondary education. They continue to play into the college level for their love of the game. And for this, many college athletes are offered full scholarships. Today’s tuition for many schools are so expensive that without the scholarships that some of the students receive, they would not be able to attend college at all. For these students, college sports offer a great avenue to obtain an education that otherwise would not have been available for them. This allows them opportunity to study something that they can use to build a better life for themselves and their families.
As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.
In Edward’s and Hardy’s opinion the main problem that research on the relationship between anxiety and performance has encountered is that researchers have not defined all the specific terminology that is required to understand with this subject. The following operational definitions will be used for the terms anxiety and stress. “Stress is a state that results from the demands that are placed on the individual which require that person to engage in some coping behavior.” Arousal is going to be considered to be a signal to the athlete that he/ she has entered into a stressful situation and is characterized buy physiological signs. Anxiety results from the athlete’s perception that he/ she is not good enough for the particular situation, which will cause stress (Edward and Hardy).
...nge, and the higher the goal striving. A psychological theory that I personally feel is applicable to sports psychology is Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, Bandura believed that self-efficacy is “the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations.". His theory is the most commonly used theory, pertaining to self-confidence in sports and motor performance. Bandura’s theory poses self-efficacy as a common cognitive mechanism for mediating people's motivation and behavior, it delves into the sports region of psychology because a lot of the cognitive thought process in sports revolve around some sort of incentive or motive. Self-efficacy is the primary determinant of one’s behavior, it has its influences when proper incentives are offered and the necessary skills for the sport are present.
The definition of an athlete is a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise, but today’s athlete is much bigger than this definition. Today’s athlete sets trends that are bigger than the sport they play. Today’s athlete is not only proficient in sports, but also public entertainment. Today’s athlete is competing not just for a win, but for an identity as something more than an athlete. No matter the sport, every game, match, or competition athletes compete in is one step to them gaining full citizenship. Being a citizen is much more than being a part of the United States, being a citizen is having a voice in a world that silences you. Being a citizen is having an identity that makes you a human and not just an