The College Athlete's Guide to Academic Success


Book Description

For courses in Orientation to College for Student-Athletes. Developed and written specifically for student-athletes, this reader-friendly guide offers practical strategies for succeeding in college. Filled with sage and tested advice, the book addresses the most salient academic, personal, and career issues affecting college athletes--from scheduling and time management to maintaining academic motivation and personal well-being. With a meaningful foreword by NCAA President, Myles Brand, the book speaks to the reader from "both sides of the desk" by providing tips from 35 academically successful student-athletes, as well as time-tested advice from two faculty members (the authors) with decades of experience teaching and mentoring college athletes. A valuable resource for anyone entering or soon to enter the world of college athletics, and their advisors, counselors, coaches, and parents, this book uses an inviting format to pack suggestions and tips into practical advice that can guide one's path to success.




The Collegiate Athlete at Risk


Book Description

There are numerous books documenting the challenges of student athletes and presenting recommendations for academic success. They primarily focus on understanding the issues of student-athletes and recommendations are oftentimes overly simplistic, failing to explicitly provide interventions that can be executed by student-athlete support personnel. In addition, the topic of supporting student-athletes who are academically at risk and/or are diagnosed with high incidence disabilities has been overlooked by scholars resulting in few publications specifically focusing on providing strategies to the staff/personnel who serve these populations. The general target audience is college/university practitioners who interface with student-athletes who demonstrate academic and social risk in the realm of athletics. These stakeholders include but are not limited to: academic support staff, student athletes, parents, coaches, faculty/educators, counselors, psychologists, higher education administrators, student affairs professionals, disability services coordinators/personnel, as well as researchers who focus on education leadership, sports, and special education. All of these groups are likely to find this book attractive especially as they work with student-athletes who are at-risk for academic failure. Also, it is ventured that this book will become the staple text for the National Association of Academic Advisors (N4A), the official organization for all personnel who work in collegiate academic support and can be used by members of intercollegiate athletic associations to reform policies in place to support at-risk student-athletes.




The Miseducation of the Student Athlete


Book Description

2018 DIGITAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST SOCIAL IMPACT BOOK The student-athlete's life: practice, gym, weight room, film review, repeat. Simply put, sports come first. Academics is a distant second. As the revenues generated by big-time college sports continue to skyrocket, virtually all of the debate involves whether (and how much) student-athletes should be paid for play. Kenneth L. Shropshire and Collin D. Williams, Jr., argue that "student" has to come first in student-athlete: the focus should be on prioritizing a meaningful education. In The Miseducation of the Student Athlete: How to Fix College Sports, Shropshire and Williams draw on new research to reveal that it has become increasingly difficult for college athletes to balance school and sports, much less a social life, leading to serious economic, professional, and emotional consequences for young people. Given that fewer than 2% of all college men's basketball and football players will play at the professional level, the other 98% of student-athletes must be prepared to find and perform well in jobs outside of their respective field of play. In this bold call to action, Shropshire and Williams explain how we got here and what can be done about it. They lay out The Student-Athlete Manifesto, a roadmap to increase the likelihood that student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field. They also offer a Meaningful Degree Model, which ensures education pays for everyone, along with stories of success that show it is possible to be both a student and an athlete. A critical read for student-athletes, sports leadership, policy makers, and anyone who loves college sports, The Miseducation of the Student Athlete has the potential to disrupt college sport and create lasting change.




Collegiate Student-athletes' Academic Success


Book Description

This dissertation study examines the impact of traditional and non-cognitive variables on the academic prediction model for a sample of collegiate student-athletes. Three hundred and fifty-nine NCAA Division IA male and female student-athletes, representing 13 sports, including football and men's and women's basketball provided demographic information (i.e., race, academic classification, gender, scholarship status) and provided responses to the Academic Communication Anxiety Test instrument. The Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services provided precollege and college academic information (high school GPA, SAT/ACT score, collegiate GPA) and this information along with data provided by the participants was entered into a multiple regression analysis. The purpose of the study was to determine which variables predicted student-athlete college GPA and if participation in a revenue-generating versus a nonrevenue-generating sport impacted college GPA. The analyses indicated that the ACAT was a valid and reliable measure (alpha = .94) with three factors. In addition, high school core GPA, study hall hour requirement, academic classification, and pre-college standardized test score made significant contributions to the prediction equation. Participation in a revenue-generating sport was found to significantly impact GPA.




Making the Connection


Book Description

Making the Connection: Data-Informed Practices in Academic Support Centers for College Athletes is practical and ideal for those who seek to use research to inform their individual and organizational practices. This volume is primarily intended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, though scholars, researchers, teachers, practitioners, coaches, athletics administrators, and advocates of intercollegiate athletics will also find it useful. It comprises a series of chapters that cover a wide range of evidence-based approaches designed to enhance the practices of those who work closely with college athletes. Given the breadth of the field overall, this single volume is not exhaustive, but the current concerns, challenges, and themes of relevance to higher education researchers, practitioners, and others are well addressed. The intent of the text is to spark conversation about how college and university constituents can reframe their thinking about the importance of innovative research to careful, informed practice. Likewise, the contributors hope that it will inspire greater awareness and action among practitioners, as well as advance scholarship in the area of athletics. Each chapter includes current research, and in some cases theoretical perspectives, which should assist practitioners enhance the well-being of college athletes. Each chapter also offers guided discussion questions that are ideal for use as the basis of further conversation in the classroom setting. Adopters of this text will benefit from leading voices in the field who delve into complex issues, shedding new light and presenting unique opportunities for understanding a diversity of perspectives on evidence-based practices in support centers for athletes. In all, this volume provides a rich portrait of data-driven practices designed to assist practitioners and others who work closely with college athletes, and lays the groundwork for an ambitious and long overdue agenda to further develop innovative research that informs the practices of athletics stakeholders and improves the quality of experiences for college athletes.




Sports, Study, or Sleep


Book Description

This book challenges existing literature on student-athletes and examines the obstacles student-athletes face with respect to academic achievement in college. Blum includes excerpts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with US student-athletes, coaches, academic advisors, and learning specialists to provide insights on how student-athletes define success academically, athletically, and professionally. He also identifies the challenges student-athletes face inside and outside of the classroom and how they can be helped in achieving academic success.




The Student Athlete's Guide to College Success


Book Description

An invaluable guide for potential collegiate student athletes, this guide presents strategies to assist student athletes with life skills both inside and outside of the classroom and athletic arenas. Student athletes must overcome a gauntlet of challenges in order to be successful in college. This guide supports student athlete success by identifying various potential issues and providing specific guidance and advice based on the author's direct experience and insider knowledge. It presents potential collegiate athletes with a wide-ranging and inclusive view of the intercollegiate sport experience and a comprehensive explanation of the role of the student athlete. This book is a comprehensive guide for student athletes and their families that will assist in deliberating scholarship offers from multiple institutions and setting a course for success in college. Readers will be equipped to determine which scholarship option—and in some cases, which sport or sports—is the optimal choice, be knowledgeable about their financial aid options and the rules of recruiting, and be prepared with a list of suggested questions that American student athletes should ask coaches and recruiting officials wishing to pursue their talents. This guide provides the essential strategies that will enable student athletes to gain life skills both inside and outside of the classroom and athletic arenas.




College Knowledge for the Student Athlete


Book Description

This book was written to support the academic success of student athletes—whether at a large or small university or college, whether team or individual sport, whether women or men, whether on scholarship or not. While all college students must learn to negotiate the complex transition from high school to college, student athletes face unique challenges, including the complicated set of regulations set out by the NCAA and individual conferences that determine eligibility. The current environment in college athletics makes it even more critical that student athletes understand what they need to do academically and how to avoid potential situations that could jeopardize their athletic careers. College Knowledge for the Student Athlete is a road map and tour guide for a successful career as a student athlete. Tips are based on research and the authors’ experience, as well as the wisdom and advice of hundreds of former student athletes.







Play For Something: Inspiration, Strategies, and Know-How for College Athletes to Succeed in the Classroom and Beyond


Book Description

Play For Something provides student athletes with the inspiration, strategies, and know-how to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Written by a Division 1 basketball player who graduated as the valedictorian of his class with a 4.0 GPA, this book covers everything from study strategies to productivity theory, from memory mastery to effective writing strategies, and from homesickness to networking. The book contains insightful stories from some of the world's leading athletes and business experts, including Olympians, Academic All-Americans, and prominent business leaders. A must-read for student athletes, the first part of the book deals with the motivation and inspiration student athletes often miss when it comes to academics and a career beyond athletics. It helps student athletes identify their passion and learn from the success stories of others. The second part of the book is devoted to the systems and knowledge that allow students to excel, including character building, life balance, networking, support system, and personal branding. The third part of the book provides the practical tips and tricks the author used to maintain a 4.0 GPA through four years of college, offering exceptional techniques to help improve memory, speed-reading, college writing, research, and citation skills.