College Student Athlete

Introduction

Since the first athletic contests of ancient Greece, humans have participated in competitive sports. Sports participation provides enjoyment and a certain competitiveness that one might seldom find elsewhere. Sports, whether it be a pastime or occupation, teaches many life lessons and can often become an area to which people become permanently attached. This became the case for me. As a young child, my family was very much involved in sports. My mother played soccer for one of Oklahoma’s best high school teams during the 1980s, and my father played football beginning at a very young age, working his way up through high school and into college where he earned the award of All-American as a football center for Baker University. With

While traditional college students have a certain level of freedom when planning their class schedules, student athletes have chosen a path which is arguably more time consuming. The college athlete does not set his or her schedule. Instead, his or her specified sport will determine the time frame in which classes can be taken. The term “student athlete” quite appropriately describes the lives of individuals involved in collegiate sports. As coach Bob Stoops once said while addressing the football team, “You guys are here for two reasons. You’re here to get an education, and you’re here to play football” (2014). This was an annual discussion that coach Stoops had with the team primarily targeting newcomers and where their priorities should be. His statement is a reflection of his values and beliefs as they translate to the team. While working to earn a degree is the primary focus in college, sports come in at a close second. It takes a high level of commitment and discipline for a student athlete to succeed. From 5:00am workouts to working on class projects well into early morning hours, a student athlete has little time for the social life that many non-athletes have. When students go home for weekends and holidays, student athletes, depending on their sport, can be found in the film room or practice facilities. With all that is required of student athletes, why do they choose such a difficult

In relation to sport influence, Sudo (1992) states, “We learn to set goals, and through training and practice, the discipline it takes to meet those goals. We learn that there are no shortcuts; that success requires hard work. We learn how to compete and, one hopes, how to win and lose” (p. 3). While evidence suggests that sports involvement is part of the American culture, former NFL quarterback Jeff Kemp addresses specific characteristics that can be learned from athletics. Kemp (1999) provides several examples of life lessons and morals that he learned from playing the game of football such as humility, honesty, and leadership. It is his belief that “sports teach positive lessons that enrich America even while revealing its flaws” (Kemp, 1999, p. 48). While Kemp’s stance suggests an involuntary bias for sports, the information he presents is validated by previously unbiased sources. Now that important information concerning the student athlete and sports participation has been discussed, it is necessary to understand how emotional and behavioral changes can occur in people following a career in college