Scholar Athletes Not an Oxymoron

1. Scholar AthletesNot an Oxymoron Joe Battista, MBA Nate Althouse, Ph.D. 27 October 2010 Academic All-American Josh Hull St. Louis Rams Linebacker

2. NCAA 1.3.1 1.3.1 Basic Purpose.[*] The competetive athletics programs of member institutions are designed to be a vital part of the educational system. A basic purpose of this Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athletes as an integral part of the student body and, by so doing, retain a clear line of demarcation between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports. 2010-2011 NCAA DIVISION I MANUAL

3. Starting Lineup • Athlete “Mythconceptions” • Going pro, scholarships, coaching attitudes… • “Athleteism” • Derecruitment • Identity Foreclosure • Athlete Academic Considerations • For College Advisors • For College Professors • For Coaches • For Athletes • Athlete Services • The Athlete Microscope

4. Mythconceptions • All athletes expect to go pro • All athletes are on scholarship • Coaches do not care about academics as long as Johnny Football Hero can play on Saturday. See Conversations Interview with Allen Sack on WPSU (http://conversations.psu.edu)

5. Odds of Going Professional • NHL- 3.6% of senior players will get drafted • NBA- 1.2% of senior players will get drafted • NFL- 1.7% of senior players will get drafted • MLB- 9.1% of senior players will get drafted • WNBA- 0.9% of senior players will get drafted • MLS- 1.6% of senior players will get drafted • Source: ncaa.org • Does not include underclassmen. Does not include players who make it to the pros undrafted • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCWIYd41BVA&feature=player_embedded#!

6. Scholarship Information • Penn State Active AthletesFall of 2010 • 708 Total Athletes • 193 Full Scholarships (27%) • 258 Partial Scholarships (36%) • 257 Non-Scholarship (36%)

8. Athletes on Scholarship • In-state tuition: $14,412-$18,604 • Out-of-state: $26,276-$31,110 • www.psu.edu

9. BCS BOWL GAME GRAD RANKINGS 1. Penn State2. Boise State3. Iowa4. Ohio State5. Nebraska6. Alabama7. Miami (Fla.)8. TCU9. Wisconsin 10. Pittsburgh (tie)10. Virginia Tech (tie)12. West Virginia13. USC14. LSU15. Florida16. Georgia Tech17. Oregon State18. Oregon19. Texas August 25, 2010 Roy Johnson, ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=5496547

10. Athleteism-The Automatic Bias • Here to carry the ball, not the books • Sit in the back of the class • Most likely to text and surf Web in class • Most class participation consists of gutteral grunts • Attends class when it doesn’t conflict with workouts • Entitlement (“Hey I’m an athlete!”) • Has poor foundation of academic skills • Lazy, stupid, uninterested, prone to cheating • Cocky, confrontational, dumb jocks

11. Athleteism • Perception of Preferential Treatment (Long, 1991) • Student-Athlete Dichotomy (Knapp, Rasmussen, & Barnhart, 2001) • Lasting effects of negative stereotypes (self-fulfilling prophecies) (Killeya, 2001)

12. Compounding Athleteism • Gender • Size • Sport • Race • Institution • Major • Handout… Combatting Athleteism at Penn State.

13. WHERE ARE ATHLETES ENROLLED? ATHLETES UP STUDENT BODY Health & Human Dev. 12.5% Business 14.8% Liberal Arts 13.2% DUS 06.3% Engineering 16.4% Health & Human Dev. 19.9% Business 19.2% Liberal Arts 15.1% DUS 14.1% Engineering 05.5%

14. Derecruitment (Person & LeNoir, 1997)

15. Identity Foreclosure (Petitpas, 1978)

17. PENN $TATE ATHLETIC REVENUE$ www.gopsusports.com

18. Typical Athlete Day Track & Field • 5:30 AM: Wake • 6:00 AM: Morning workout • 7:00 AM: Shower or training room • 8:00-2:15 Attend 2-3 classes • 2:45: Practice • 5:00: Training room for rehab/treatment • 5:30: Shower and head to eat • 6:00: Eat • 7:00: Study Hall • 11:00: Head home

19. Athlete Issues • Considerations for… • College Advisors • Professors • Coaches • Athletes “I don’t remember this one being in the playbook.”

20. Special Issues- College Advisors • Athletes should communicate that they are athletes! • Clear Communication about scheduling times • Schedule around training (IF POSSIBLE) • Foreseeing scheduling disasters further down the road in program • Many university courses cater to audio-visual learners. Athletes are generally wired for kinesthetic learning • Athletes are not wired to ask for help • Athletes need to communicate needs regarding eligibility benchmarks • Athletic Academic Advisors Defer to the College Academic Advisors • Only so much to go around • Time • Energy

21. Special Issues- Professors • Athletes should communicate that they are athletes! • Students need to be proactive • Athletes are not wired to ask for help • Legitimate Missed Class Time • Travel schedule is not set by athletes • Should not be penalized for missing class due to travel for athletics • Again… athletes need to be proactive! • Only so much to go around • Time • Energy

22. Special Issues- Coaches • Athletes should communicate that they are students! • Coach tunnel vision • Not all class conflicts can be avoided • Having advisors hold Student athletes’ hands is counterproductive (accountability) • Only so much to go around • Time • Energy Sorry, but picking up blitzes doesn’t come as naturally to me as nuclear physics does. You have a 3.7 GPA and you can’t read the defense?

23. Special Issues- Athletes • Take responsibility for your own learning • Develop analytical skills to apply what you learn • Develop assertiveness outside of athletics • Take control of your time • Think beyond the moment • Utilize resources

24. Athlete to Advisor Ratios • Football: 62-1 • Football also has 2 Academic GAs and a Learning Support Specialist • Men’s and Women’s Basketball: 24-1 • All other sports: 140-1

25. Academic Services • Study Hall hours • Mandatory for Freshmen • Writing and Math tutors available for walk-ins • Tutors • Sue Paterno Mentoring Program • Learning Support • Priority Scheduling • Eligibility Monitoring (Including “Graduating Too Fast Syndrome”) • Student-Athlete Planner • First-Year Seminar • Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute • SpiritusLeoninus

26. First-Year Seminar • Academic Integrity • Management • Class, GPA, Eligibility, Time, Major Audit • Introduction to Penn State system • ANGEL, email, Internet, Getting to know professors • Learning style assessment (VARK) • Test-taking strategies • Sport Psychology Services • Career Development • Resume Writing • SDS, Discover, Occupational Outlook Handbook • Selecting a Major • Race Relations-Diversity • Learning Specialist- Final Exam Preparation

27. Values and Health • Personal Responsibility • Social Responsibility /Service Learning • Alcohol Choices and Hazing • Social Norms and Standards • Sports Nutrition and Supplements • Sexual Ethics/Relationship Violence • Relational Communication • Sexual Orientation /Gender Identity • Contraceptionand Sexual Health • Leadership Education • Managing Finances • Stress Management

28. Career Services • Self-Directed Search/Discover • Student-Athlete Resume Book • Career Weekly Email Blast • Student-Athlete Recruiting Sessions • Etiquette Dinner

29. Community Service Roar for Reading Speaker’s Bureau All-Sport Museum Trick or Treat Night “Penn” Pal Program Game Night at the Village Special Olympics All-Sports Day THON Canning Second Mile Holiday Party THON SAAB Committee Lunch with the Lions Student-Athlete Shadow Day THON Barbeque THON Volleyball Tournament Mr. & Miss Student-Athlete Pageant

30. Additional Time Commitments • Athletic Development • Student Athlete Thank-a-Thon • Endowment Dinner • Alumni Events • Student-Athlete Float • Recruiting Hosts • Interviews and Promotional Services

31. Athlete Life Cross-Section Athletic Commitments Holistic Commitments Class Time Study Hall Tutor Sessions Mentor Sessions Student Organizations Major-Eligibility Monitoring Career Development Community Service Nutrition Social Life? Sleep? • Practice • Travel • Competition • Injury Rehabilitation • Lifting • Conditioning • Film Study • Individual Workouts • Media/ Promotional • Athletic Development-Alumni

32. Joke of the Day • NCAA 17.1.6.1 A student-athlete’s participation in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week.

33. The Microscope

34. Why Coaches Matter • Culture and Priorities • Recruiting profile • Learned helplessness • Communication with advisors • You can get a degree without getting an education Grand Experiment Architect Joe Paterno

35. Take Home

36. For further review… Killeya, L. A. (2001). Idiosyncratic role-elaboration, academic performance, and adjustment among African-American and European-American male college student-athletes. College Student Journal, 35(1), 87-95. Knapp, T. J. Rasmussen, C., & Barnhart, R. K. (2001). What college students say about intercollegiate athletics: A survey of attitudes and beliefs. College Student Journal, 35(1), 96-100. Long, G. T. (1991). Social perceptions of sports figures: Dumb jocks, flawed heroes, and superstars. In L. Diamant (Ed.), Psychology of sports, exercise, and fitness. New York: Hemisphere. Person, D. R., & LeNoir, K. M. (1997). Retention issues and models for African American male athletes. New Directions for Student Services, 80, 79-91. Petitpas, A. J. (1978). Identity foreclosure: A unique challenge. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 56, 558-561.