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The ‘secrets’ for success that NCAA athletes need to know

By now, every NCAA student athlete has moved onto a university campus or come back to their respective campus housing and gone through any number of workouts and games under the watchful eyes of coaches, trainers, administrators, fans and the media. They will likely range in age from 17 to possibly as old as 24. A few are among the best athletes in the world in their sport but the vast majority are talented athletes with academic smarts who will receive the beneficial experience of competing as an intercollegiate student athlete.

Whether a professional sport future awaits any of those students is largely a mystery because injuries and performance at this level are still notable unknowns. For the moment, we know freshmen are struggling to find the right academic buildings and seniors are pondering what is really coming next. We’d guess there are others trying to determine what major to select and juniors wondering if they should keep training “all-out” or start focusing their academic efforts on their degrees and desirable jobs.

These students we’re so calmly discussing will come from a continuum of wealthy families, middle-class suburbs and abject poverty. Some will enjoy the benefits of full scholarships and some are still walking on.

As faculty members at Division I schools (and one a former student athlete), we know firsthand the student-athlete learning curve is complex and often steep. We know spare time is precious. Where a freshman tries to learn a playbook and pick a major, a junior may worry about playing time and whether the “real world” is approaching all too quickly. Sophomores or seniors may be seeking internships or practicums.

Student athletes sacrifice for their sport, but universities must make sure they don’t sacrifice their employment prospects as well.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
Most readers know that less than 1 percent of all collegiate student athletes will play their sport professionally or compete in the Olympic Games. And yet media coverage of that 1 percent sometimes suggests none of them received enough education for the day when their professional sports career ended.

But what about the other 99 percent? The ones the NCAA says will turn pro in everything but playing competitive sports. Who are these more than 400,000 students and should we really care?

These are the student athletes who won’t get sponsors or endorsement deals, let alone sign a contract in the millions. These are the amateurs in the historical sense of the word. And, we bet, almost every one of them is highly thankful for the scholarships or financial support they’ve received.

Still, there are critics of the NCAA and college sports out there and they ask if everyone is getting enough education. Or the right education.

At many schools, the answer is an unqualified yes. Academic support services intent on moving students through their academic progress rate and helping them shift from backpacks to briefcases, assist student athletes every day. Smart coaches have an eye on a balanced approach to training and school, while the NCAA itself is about to put in place time-demands legislation to ensure coaches are more holistically balanced in their efforts to win games or events.

And yet, for this 99 percent who won’t turn pro, some do much better than others when they finish. Why is that?

“In my opinion, student athletes who take the time to get to know their faculty members by engaging in class, attending review sessions, visiting during office hours and attending career days are profoundly better prepared for the professional world,” said Tommy Powell, associate provost at Syracuse University. “These relationships generated outside of the athletic department create a vital connection to the campus which is a catalyst for their professional growth.”

From our research on the topic, answering the above question is clouded by the commitment required of all student athletes. It’s a demand that places many of them at a notable disadvantage come job-hunting time.

Let us explain by comparing Fictitious Frank and Imaginary Erin. Both are accounting majors with GPAs of 3.5. Erin is a Division I swimmer who has made the NCAA finals on more than one occasion and even swam at the Olympic trials. Impressive accolades to say the least. However, due to the training requirements, she never joined a student club, never secured a real internship or was ever able to work at a major summer job. She did, however, represent her university with great distinction.

Frank is not an athlete. During his four years, he interned with a Big Four accounting firm, was treasurer of his university’s student union, helped grow a student investment club, worked for three summers at local accounting firms and worked part-time in the administration offices of his university’s college of science.

When they interview, who gets the job? Erin, to her credit, will enjoy the cachet of her elite athletic performances and draw on her competitive nature, physical dependability and natural team leadership. But Frank offers work experience, a proven track record and impressive recommendations from industry professionals.

If it’s a toss-up, much may depend on how Erin, our athlete, interviews. What we don’t know is whether her university will have prepared her for a moment that may not last much longer than her last 200-meter freestyle event.

To that end, we are embarking on a large research project to outline the “secrets” these athletes need to know (for success) while also maintaining their athlete status. We need the Erins of the NCAA world to know how to leverage their athletic exploits and how to balance their time at school to get other experiences during a four- to five-year window.

Erin’s athletic goals have been unbelievably admirable but universities need to make sure their student athletes don’t get touched out at the wall. And the sports industry needs to make sure we understand that “bleeding for one’s sport” shouldn’t create an employment disadvantage.

Rick Burton (rhburton@syr.edu) is the David Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University and SU’s faculty athletics representative to the ACC and NCAA. Norm O’Reilly (oreillyn@ohio.edu) is the Richard P. & Joan S. Fox Professor of Business and chair of the Department of Sports Administration at Ohio University. Their book, “Secrets Every Student Athlete Should Learn Before Graduating,” will be published by the Ohio University Press in 2017.

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