Responsive Support for Student Athletes

Kate Halischak

A Presentation to

Challenges

Adjustment to the rigors of academic and athletic life in a highly competitive university presents difficulties, even for gifted individuals. For many incoming student athletes, the challenges are compounded academically, athletically, and socially.

Academic ChallengesThese student athletes:

►negotiate the same courses as non-athletes, but with a shorter academic day and far less study time (and less energy).

►have (relative to the more usual student) poorer high school preparation; have not taken advanced math, science, or writing, etc.

►often have few developed study skills; they were able to be academically successful in high school through talent, not technique.

►are the first in their families to go to college. They don’t understand the system and what to expect. They are very unsure about how to talk with their professors and tend to avoid them if humanly possible.

Academic ChallengesThese student athletes:

►believe that they should major in Engineering, Pre-Professional Studies, or Business, whether or not they enjoy or do well in them.

► find many of their courses difficult and threatening. The weaker students often wonder if they “deserve” to be here. They wonder if they aren’t here “just” because of their athletic ability.

►are afraid they are not intelligent enough to succeed. They don’t understand that what they lack is not intelligence but some learnable background material and lots of study strategies and techniques.

Athletic Challenges

These student athletes: ►are confused and fearful about the very thing they have wildly

excelled at throughout their lives (their athletic talent), and this creates anxiety and misery.

►move from being outstanding athletes to feeling average and unskilled.

►are often stunned by the difficulty of conditioning and practice. ►not being able to rely on talent as they have in the past, they often

question their talent. As in academics, they haven’t yet learned the skills needed to let their talent shine through.

Athletic Challenges

These student athletes: ►have to deal with the shock and embarrassment of not

playing.►don’t understand where they fit in on the team.►have to learn to deal with the lack of free/private time due to

meetings, conditioning, practice, rehab.► if injured, wonder if they will be able to recover completely

and/or if they have lost their place on the team.

Social ChallengesThese student athletes:

►discover that high profile status makes life pretty confusing (unreasonably idolized and unreasonably criticized).

► find that minority-status tensions make life hard. The tension of always being just a little different and always having to work to prove oneself and fit in is extremely wearing.

►have little time to become a part of the university. They are often isolated from the university at large by being in too many classes together and not having enough opportunity (free time) to join in the larger community in a natural way.

► tend to be homesick longer and more seriously than most students; they often don’t get to go home on breaks, which prolongs the homesickness.

Rising to the Challenge

In spite of all these challenges, student athletes can not only survive, but they can graduate in large numbers (at-risk student athletes as well as the more typical student athletes) when responsive support is in place.

Building a Responsive Support Network

The University recognizes its responsibility to provide appropriate assistance for student athletes to meet the demands of both academic and athletic pursuits. ►To this end, the Chancellor, President, Provost, Vice

Provost for Academic Affairs, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, & Athletic Director set the tone, and

►the University community collaborates on and contributes to a network of guidance and support, ensuring that student athletes are integrated into University services and resources.

Building a Responsive Support Network Chancellor, President, Provost, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs,

Vice Provost for Student Affairs, & Athletic Director set the tone.

SocialStudent AffairsCampus Life

AthleticCoachesAdministratorsTrainersWeight Room Staff

AcademicFacultyDept & Col AdvisorsSAAS AdvisorsTutors & Mentors

SAAS

How Responsive Support Works

Student Athlete Academic Services (SAAS): ►guides the progress of the student athlete toward

intellectual development and graduation. ►strives vigorously to promote the athletic success of all

student athletes by providing services that develop the necessary skills for academic success and independence.

►fosters ownership by the student athletes of their academic, athletic, personal, and social responsibilities by teaching those disciplined habits that characterize educated and skilled adults.

How Responsive Support WorksTo teach those disciplined habits, SAAS needs the support

and active participation of many individuals throughout the university community in setting the standard for these student athletes. ►Working closely with coaches, faculty, college advisors, and student

athlete leadership groups, SAAS establishes guidelines, expectations, consequences, and rewards at the outset.

►The result is that reasonable minds make decisions about the welfare of the students based on sound educational and motivational principles, instead of basing them in the heat of the moment so that when a situation presents itself, the decision is already made as to the consequences.

How Responsive Support Works►SAAS facilitates communication among the university

constituencies so that everyone in contact with the student athletes understands their needs, understands how to meet them effectively, and speaks the same message regarding expectations of the student athlete.

This mutual and unified approach is the keystone to responsive support.

Example: A Program for At-Risk Students

The Measurable Goals of the Program:►Maintain x credits per quarter.►Maintain a GPA of 2.5 and above, moving toward a 3.0.► Increase class attendance.► Increase the number of student athletes in good standing.► Increase academic productivity and learning.► Increase the number of student athletes who apply for and win

post-graduate scholarships.►Strengthen and cultivate positive relations with faculty.►Teach time-management, organization, and decision-making

skills.►Create independence.

Example: A Program for At-Risk Students

A Simple Truth: The discipline it takes for student athletes to attend class, attend study sessions, make meetings, and do the right things on campus carries over to the focus and discipline it takes to be successful on the field.

In his/her sport, an athlete learns a new play many times throughout a season. He/she must understand the concept behind the play, learn it, practice it, perfect it, and then implement it. The goal of mastering the play is to contribute to the team’s success. If the right practice is repeated over and over, the odds are good that it will.

Example: A Program for At-Risk Students

The same is true for a new play in academics. In this program, we introduce, practice, refine, repeat, and implement the skills that are needed to be successful. And we repeat this strategy over and over so that it becomes a habit. Practicing these skills repeatedly leads to academic success. Vital components of the program are:

► Individualized assessment and learning plans.► Goal-oriented tutor sessions that are catered to the subject matter and individual.► Structured study.► Consistent and immediate consequences for absenteeism.► Unanimous support of the process.► Comprehensive monitoring.► Constant communication with students, coaches, tutors, other athletic department

personnel, etc. regarding academic progress, expectations, and challenges.► An environment that encourages independence, accountability, organization, and

learning.► Repetition, practice, and follow-through.

Example: A Program for At-Risk Students

Everyone collaborates and contributes:►The SAAS advisor is essential to the program. The advisor

implements the program through leadership, repetition, practice and follow-through. He/she is the primary liaison between the head coach, coaching staff, student athletes, faculty, and SAAS. The advisor is visible to student athletes and the coaching staff by attending practice regularly, home and away games, and meetings with students and coaches.

►The faculty and college advisors respond to ongoing communications regarding student’s progress and academic standing. They also provide leadership in directing the academic development of the student athlete.

Example: A Program for At-Risk Students

►Coaches and other athletic department personnel are integral to the process, meeting with the SAAS advisor on a regular basis, enforcing the same consequences, and demonstrating their support by stopping by the study center.

►Lastly, the student athlete needs to be consistent in his/her practice of attending classes prepared and on time, study hall x hours per week, tutoring sessions, and follow-through at all times. He/she is also consistent in meeting university obligations when they are due, returning phone calls, emails, and making meetings.

By providing student-athletes with care, concern, confrontation, and consequences, we create an environment in which they can

succeed.

My thanks to you!