With the start of school just a week away, the student-athletes that I coach can for one more week, focus on their sport component of their lives with having to worry about classes, assignments, studying and tests. However as of next Tuesday, reality will hit and they will find themselves balancing school and it's related requirements along with their chosen sport. I thought I might address some of the stereotypes that also often associated with student-athletes. I want to preface it by saying that I could be certain without a doubt that some of the items I will address below do not happen or are not more regular ouccrences say in the NCAA, however I can am quite comfortable in my assertions based on my experience at Concordia and within USport. Whether because of jealousy, envy or simply the lack of accurate knowledge, many are quick to judge or demean student-athletes not fully understanding the reality they are face with.
Over the course of my involvement in university sport, I've heard all of these statements and more. I've found that many misconceptions exist regarding the life of a university student-athlete. I've honestly been surprised that so many myths are out there, and that so many myths are widely accepted. Allow me to set the record straight and shed some light on the real reality they face. Myth #1: Athletes don't have to go to class. Truth: Simply put, yes they do. Student-athletes are subject to the same attendance standards that exist for other students in shard classes. Of course these depend on the class and teacher, however whatever is expected of a "regular" student is expected of student-athletes. Sickness and emergency are exceptions, of course, like any other student. In recent years, we have tried to identify at-risk students and require them to provide regular updates from their professors via a simple form which covers attendance, assignment completion etc. Some teachers are very cooperative and it allows us to address issues before they affect eligibility. Myth #2: Coaches can get athletes out of class. Truth: This one is partly true. Athletes miss class for travel and for games, so yes, our athletic commitments do sometimes get them out of class, require a reasonable extension for assignments or the chance to right an alternate exam. This doesn't mean that they can just skip class all the time using our sports as an excuse. As a coach, I schedule practices early enough in advance to athletes can plan class schedules to avoid conflicts as much as possible, if their conflicts between class and training, class comes first. (Hence student-athlete.). In cases where athletics might come first, they are communicated in advance with the teacher and alternate arrangements as needed are made between teacher, athlete and coach. In cases where no possible arrangement is possible, then studies prevail. I've had athletes miss games due to exams. Myth #3: Athletes rake in the free stuff. Truth: This one also has some merit. Athletes don't have an unlimited supply of free gear to replace lost or damaged items, nor can they outfit friends and family. However they get substantial practice uniforms, travel wear, equipment and in some cases shoes provided to them in exchange for their athletics commitment. But is it really free? They receive the items in exchange for attending daily two hour practices , team meetings, travel to games and sacrificing a CRAP LOAD of time to the sport. Myth #4: grades don't matter as long as they're playing sport. Truth: Completely false! USport has very specific regulations on GPA, number of credits to be successfully completed each year and number of credits to be registered for, in order to remain athletically eligible. Failing classes puts them at risk of not being able to compete. In addition USport and Concordia recognize the acedmic achievement of student-athletes not to mention many potential financial awards are tied into academic performance as much as athletic accomplishment, sometimes more so, therefore grades do matter. Myth #5: Student-athletes are well supported financially for they participation in sport. Truth: True and false. Here again, USport has very specific regulations about the awarding of AFAs or Athletics Financial Awards. With the exception of women's hockey following a pilot project between USport and Hockey Canada aimed at keeping our best players in Canada, the maximum amount a student athlete can receive is limited to tuition and mandatory fees. Not books, no living expenses and certainly no pocket money. I addition USport calculates a maximum per university that can be spent on AFAs based on number of teams and athletes each university has. Furthermore some conferences cap the maximum and individual student-athlete can receive in order to level the playing field between bigger and smaller schools. Add to that, internal rules at each institution and budget considerations ( the reality that Canadian university sports does not generate revenues like our US neighbours) and I can assure you that most athletes across the country are paying something to go to school. Of course comparing tuition in Canada to that is the US, the financial burden is not the same. They're are foundations, organizations and other entities that have scholarships and bursaries which all students can apply for but urban legend has it that 50% of available funds are not applied for. That is a true disappointment.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
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