Posted on behalf of Michael Mancuso:
Most of us had played sports growing up whether it is in high school or just having fun around the backyard. But few of us, are actually able to take the game to the next level and play a sport in college. If we were even able to attend, then chances are we all know someone who plays for a school, your school, or an alumni player who were fortunate to make this a real opportunity for them. We think of college athletes as the jocks who get to miss class, hand in late assignments, and have an endless supply of booty calls stored away in their blackberry’s. I have been fortunate to have had numerous friends from high school go on to play in college whether it is football, basketball, or baseball and have also friended many more athletes here at Quinnipiac. One thing I know for sure, is that this stereotype is not all that it is cracked up to be.
The college life for a student athlete is one with many restrictions. They are given set schedules every year and often time don’t really get to choose the classes they want due to practices, lifting’s, ect. They have to live life by the schedule and it seems as though everything they do is put under a microscope. Behavior is always a problem both on and off the field as they are threatened with losing their scholarship, being benched, or thrown off completely due to “normal” college incident. Coaches might not allow them to drink or go out because there is an 8am practice or earlier lift the next morning and anyone coming in hung-over or feeling out of it will be feeling worse with the extra laps after practice. They must make many sacrifices in their college careers and cannot just enjoy going to school as the rest of us can, whether or not they plan on continuing their sport after they graduate.
The Ellenbogen article pushes the microscope up even closer. After Pete Rose was banned from the game he starred in due to a gambling addiction and fixing games in which he managed, gambling has become a problem many have started to look more into. Now although in many ways illegal, college students (including Quinnipiac,) can’t wait to turn 21 so that they can go to the casino’s and dream of hitting millions. Many take it further and bet on sports whether it is office pools like for the Super Bowl and March Madness, or I know even myself get involved in fantasy money leagues. A few of us even go all the way to online sports betting where anything goes from how many runs will be scored in the first inning or how many foul shots Kobe Bryant will attempt tonight. However, over the past couple of decades campuses have been focusing in to make sure their athletes are not participating. Gambling can get any person into debts and troubles, but Ellenbogen talks about the serious problems it can have on student athletes. He says, “If student athletes incur significant losses or develop associations
with other gamblers, they may be pressured to use or share information concerning collegiate
games, or possibly alter their performance to influence the outcome of games” (Ellenbogen 349). This is exactly the problem Pete Rose faced in baseball, and ultimately ruined the “Hall of Famers” chances of ever getting in. It can also ruin the career of a student athlete as the punishment for action could range anywhere’s from a one year suspension to being thrown out of the school entirely. In 2001, the National Gambling Impact Study Commission concluded that, “sports wagering threatens the integrity of sports, puts student athletes in a vulnerable position, it can serve as gateway behavior for adolescent gamblers, and it can devastate individuals and careers” (Ellenbogen 350).
One reason that drives one to gamble is competitiveness, something that is obviously present in a student athlete. However, a surprising study also has shown that competitiveness can also lead to another problem. The Serrao article comprises a study that has found that, college athletes tend to consume more alcohol than non-athletes do. As well as those participating in even intramural sports drinking more heavily than those students who do not. Serrao concludes that, “The current study hypothesized that a sport-related personality trait, competitiveness, may contribute to alcohol use among individuals participating in athletics” (Serrao 206). Do we really believe that high levels of competitiveness could be a bad thing and lead to many bad habits? This study would prove that everything our coaches have been teaching us all our lives may actually backfire and be a negative when it is all said and done.
What have our own college experiences told us, in contrast to these studies? Has competitiveness been the overwhelming problem to explain “bad behavior” among student athletes or do you believe it is the pressures and responsibilities that go along with being a student athlete? Would you agree with the findings that have been studied by both Ellenbogen and Serrao?
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I do agree with you when you said being a student athlete is not what its cracked up to be. You do not really have any time to yourself because like you said you are on a set schedule and your life is basically being ran. Its not a easy task being a student athlete, especially with all the pressure and temptation that is put in front of us. People really would not understand what we go through until they walked in our shoes for one day. There is a target put on us just because we are athletes.
ReplyDeleteCompetitveness is something that we all value no matter what sport it is. This can very well carry on to every day life. Being an athlete, its like you do not want to lose in anything that you do, well thats from my prospective. Growing up i use to gamble A LOT in my neighborhood and competitveness was definitely the reason i never would stop. Once i became a student athlete all that stopped. Like ELLENBOGEN said "Only a very small number of student athletes
reported major infractions" (349).
When it comes to drinking, durng the season our bodies be so tired from everything that we go through that we do not have time to drink. Maybe after the season is over but during the season we tend to stay away from alcohol.
"The current study hypothesized that a sport-related personality trait, competitiveness, may contribute to alcohol use among individuals participating in athletics"(Serrao 206) I agree with this to a certain extent, i mean it just depends on the person but wanting to compete all the time could lead to some bad things outside of the sport. Student athletes just have to be smart.
I agree with Mike and think he did a great job of pointing out some of the pressures college athletes face. I know many friends who participate in college athletics and understand how every school, athletic department and coach have different standards and expectations. However one standard seems to be that the days of players getting away with missing classes and assignments are long over. If anything student athletes must go above and beyond other students by attending mandatory study hours or attending office hours with professors. This may be helpful to keep athletes on top of their athletics but I do think they are still put under intense pressure. Like Mike said there are many situations where these athletes are unable to act like normal college students because their every action is under scrutiny which is not always fair.
ReplyDeleteThe Gambling Behavior Among College Student-Athletes article explains how college athletes are more likely to have gambling problems. “Students participating in either club or intercollegiate sports programs were found to be significantly more likely to have gambling problems (Gambling Behavior Among College Student-Athletes Page 350). I can see how this is true because athletes (whether recreational or college team members) tend to be very competitive and love to win. This is the case with many gambling addicts they love the thrill and pressure of the game. However I think it is unfair to use this research to stereotypes all athletes.
College athletes are not being paid (even if they are on scholarship) so they should be able to live their lives freely. They are representing the school and team so they should act in a responsible manner but everyone makes mistakes. People need to realize these student athletes are young adults and everyone messes up at some point so they should not be judged to harshly.
I agree with most of the statement that athletes are under extreme pressure to perform and there time is not as easy as people make it out to be. Although there have been cases such as Matt Leinart at USC when he only took one class and that class was ballroom dancing. Also while no actual proof is there some athletes have received houses (Reggie Bush at USC) and player's dads have received jobs at schools while being recruited (Patrick Peterson at LSU).
ReplyDeleteHowever, when it comes to the usual schools an athletes life is much harder than it is made out to be. Between all the practice, weight room, and classes I can't imagine doing all of that.
"Students participating in either club or intercollegiate sports programs were found to be significantly more likely to have gambling problems" (Ellenbogen, 350). Many people do this because they feel like that because they play it they know it better, which is understandable, but gambling from actual college athletes is very dangerous. Just recently, Toledo University was charged with major sanctions after players were arrested for point shaving for being involved with gambling.
These athletes are doing what they love to do and competing at a high level, you would imagine that affects other aspects of their life as well. Someone who is competitive would also become competitive and want to gamble to prove that they know what they are talking about (and use money to back it up).
"In Sum, research has shown that college athletes tend to drink more than other college students and that a higher level of athletic involvement is associated with greater alcohol use." (Serrao, 207). This would make sense because many turn to alcohol to help them cope with pressure and stress. With all the stress athletes are under, it is no surprise that they are near the top of the list for me.
-Nate Porter
Student Athletes have a large amount of responsibility. Some say they have to much . I would be one to agree with that. Many of these young athletes are still young and trying to find themselves as men. Its hard to restrict yourself from the temptations that college has to offer.
ReplyDeleteHow ever, many athletes stick to the strict code and set a good example for their respective schools. However, every year there seems to be a couple of mishaps from college athletes that make national news. These athletes dedicate their college careers to the sport they love. Most of them manage to be responsible, while still enjoying there college life.
How is one suppose to go through four years of college and not enjoy the off time they have. Now a days all it takes is a picture of an athlete in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and they can face the consequences. I think its unfair for these athletes to suffer due to there higher stature. There is too much pressure put on these young men on a daily basis. Performing well on the field is enough pressure in itself. To worry about if they will get in trouble on their free time, is unfortunate.
Furthermore, most of the time an athlete gets in trouble for something minor. According to Ellenbogen, "Only a very small number of student athletes reported major infractions" (349). It seems as if there is so many, due to the magnitude of certain cases. Not every athlete did what chris webber did (bet on his own team).
Also, what about TIm Tebow? He is arguably the most competitive athlete on this decade, and he dedicates his life to christ. He doesn't drink and indulge in negative activities. My point is i feel like this study was making some strong accusations about a "majority" of college athletes. Athletes have too much pressure brought upon by their coaches, their performance, and the media. Its time we let these athletes start being young men, and enjoy their lives.
Lastly Serrao says, "In Sum, research has shown that college athletes tend to drink more than other college students and that a higher level of athletic involvement is associated with greater alcohol use" (Serrao, 207). I would definitely disagree with this statement. I have friends (who are athletes) who go to schools and who restrict themselves during the season.
During the off-season they will let loose a little bit more. But from my encounters i see more drinking is done by non-athletes. This is due to their limited responsibilities. Its time to lay off student athletes and have enough trust in them to make the right decisions as young men.
I could not agree with Evan any more, being a student athlete is demanding, but to be fair, I would not have it any other way. The idea of being part of a team and all working for a common goal is a terrific feeling. To be honest, I think that I would be a poor student if it were not for athletics because it forces me to manage my schedule. Looking back, I have noticed that whenever I have been in-season, my grades have always great. The greatest thing about being an athlete is that the skills learned and developed on the field transfer to everyday life.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that I am one of the most competitive around, but it does not simply stop on the field, it continues in the classroom. With me, there is no middle ground, if I am going to do something; I am going to do it the correct way to the best of my ability. Now that pertains to my play on the field and my work in the classroom. Whenever I do not understand a topic in class, my competitive nature takes over and pushes me to work harder at understanding the material.
Now with regards to competiveness and gambling, that is something that I do agree with because the idea of always needing to win. Whether it is winning a game or winning the jackpot, to athletes, winning is winning and whatever we do, we want to win. A prime example of this is Michael Jordan. Not too many people knew that Jordan had a huge gambling problem during his playing days. The reason for his gambling is unknown, but one could certainly assume that it had to do with his competitive nature. The fact that he had so much success on the court, one could assume that he figured his success would continue with the bookies. However, gambling among collegiate athletes is a different story.
Gambling among college athletes is something that is frowned upon by the NCAA, but there is no doubt that it goes on and remains unreported. I personally do not gamble, in fact, my friends rag on me because I try to spend as little money as possible. However, it is not because I do not gamble, but I am someone who does not believe in it. I am not talking about the type of gambling that takes place at the casinos, but I am talking about betting on college and professional athletic events. In the article, Gambling Behavior Among College Student-Athletes, it was said that “Gambling among student athletes represents a multifaceted problem, particularly when examining sports wagering. If student athletes incur significant losses or develop associations with other gamblers, they may be pressured to use or share information concerning collegiate games, or possibly alter their performance to influence the outcome of games (Ellenbogen, 349).” It is that the integrity of the game gets thrown out the window when athletes are betting on their own sport or even a different collegiate sport. Who knows, maybe they have a friend on a team who they talked to about potentially blowing the game so they can win big money. It is something that I believe needs to be monitored more strictly by the NCAA.
Being a student-athlete in college is awesome, and I would not change it for the world. However, it takes a special individual to be able to handle the busy schedule and the limitations placed upon them. Everything that we do is magnified, whether it is positive or negative, right or wrong but that is just the reality.
Part of me agrees with Michael and part of me does not. Yes, there is a lot of pressure on student-athletes and some people would argue that it is too much. I am not one of them.
ReplyDeleteFour out of six of my roomates are athletes here at QU, and every day I hear them say "Must be nice to go out", "Must be nice to drink". Yes it is nice, but honestly, it must be nice to play a sport and have a full ride to school whereas I'll be paying loans for years.
Personally, I think that playing a sport and giving up a few months of your college years are worth it to get a scholarship to a great school and not have to worry about the high tuition that the rest of us has to pay.
With that said, I do see a lot of the things that student athletes have to give up during their season. It must be hard to deal with sports on top of the academics. However, I feel like many of us have issues other than academics as well.
Serrao, Martens, Martin and Rocha say, "Based on the results of this study, it appears that competitiveness is related to
alcohol use among both athletes and nonathletes." I know so many non athletes that are just as competitive if not more than athletes. It is unfair to say that athletes feel more pressure because of competition because there are numerous other reasons for competition than the sport they play.
Furthermore Ellenbogen says, "While many student athleteswere found to gamble on aweekly basis, the rate of pathological
gambling among athletes (0.8%) was well below that of adolescents (estimated to be between
4.4% and 7.4%; Derevensky & Gupta, 2000), and quite similar to that of adult studies using
similar measures." This proves that while student athletes gamble, they are pathologically not affected as much as other adolescents and the same, not more as adults.
From this research and from what I see here at QU, I feel like student-athletes do have a tough job in dealing with all the pressure, but to me I feel like some of it is a price to pay for the benefits they get from playing a sport.
First off, great job Mike. I agree with almost everything you talked about except the part of stereotypes with college athletes. I am not a student-athlete so I by no means can relate as well as most of the class, but I do have many friends who play sports here at QU and play D-1 sports around the nation. I wanted to key in on the point made about college athletes being looked at as jocks who miss class, hand in late assignments, and have the many booty calls on their phones. I'm sure many college athletes do not follow these stereotypes, but I'm going to use my friend Matt as an example. He goes to school at LSU. As we all know, LSU is a top-notch football, basketball, and baseball school. He is in a class of about 400 kids and one of the kids in his class is Jordan Jefferson, the starting Quarterback of the football team. He has seen multiple times where Jefferson will have kids take notes for him while he misses or sleeps in class. I guarantee that this occurs a lot where big-time college athletes get away with a lot with academics. I haven't seen it happen at all at QU, but when you get to the bigger schools, I'm sure star athletes miss class, hand in late assingments, and get any girl they want. Do you really think a teacher will come down hard on a star athlete for handing in an assignment late or missing a class?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything else however, especially the alcohol part. Competitiveness is usually a positive thing. Being a competitive person my whole life, I have done well in sports and performed well in school. However for college athletes, competitiveness can very much be a bad thing. As Holly F. Serrao states,"It seems that competitiveness, while useful in many domains of life (i.e., sports competitions), may be harmful in others (i.e., alcohol use)". (Serrao, 212) Having that competitive nature can really hurt a college athlete especially in the party atmosphere where they may participate in a drinking game. Their competitive nature will kick in and if they lose, more than likely they will start to drink more and more at a quick rate resulting in them making bad decisions. I also feel like the pressure of being a student-athlete could result in bad decision making. If an athlete has a bad game, it very well could lead to them wanted to forget it by drinking lots and lots.
As far as gambling is concerned, student-athletes are at a more increased risk of developing gambling-related problems than your regular student or other adults in general. In "Gambling Behavior Among College Student-Athletes", Stephen Ellenbogen states, "Research has generally supported the conclusion that college student-athletes may be at increased risk of developing gambling-related problems, compared to the student population in particular and other adults in general." (Ellenbogen, 351) Student-athletes need to realize that if you get caught betting on sports, they will get a minimum of a one-year suspension. I understand the reason to the study by Ellenbogen goes back to a college athlete probably having a higher level of competitiveness that makes them want to bet on sports, but they need to realize that all college-athletes are under a microscope and they must be more careful or they will all start to get caught.
I give all the credit in the world to college student-athletes. The workload, between school work, lifting sessions and practices, and the games must be a ton of work. I know I certainly could not do itso it is extremely impressive that they can make it through all their busy schedules.
From my experience so far in school, the people who gamble on sports are almost always people that have played sports at some competitive level at some point in their lives. According to the Ellenbogen article, “males were more likely to gamble if they considered athletics important, participated regularly in physical activities, and were on an intercollegiate sports team” (350). However, I don’t think gambling is caused from the responsibilities of being a student-athlete. I think gambling more has to do with sports fans trying to use their knowledge of their favorite sports to try and make some money. For some, it may be because they don’t have much money and use what money they do have to bet on “sure wins.” For people that already have the money, the excitement that comes with betting on several games in hope to win a large sum of money in the end is pretty crazy.
ReplyDeleteI do think that behavior pertaining to drugs and alcohol most likely can be related to stress or responsibilities of being in college. During the week stress from schoolwork and practice mounts, and by the time the weekends come along, everyone is happy to blow off some steam with some “bad behavior.” As far as the amount of alcohol drank on weekends, I think that some of it is definitely attributable to competitiveness. Drinking games are always very popular at parties, and the object of a lot of the games is to get a person drunk. This obviously leads to heavy alcohol consumption, and the Serrao article proves it. According to the study, “it appears that competitiveness is related to alcohol use among both athletes and nonathletes. For the entire sample of undergraduates, competitiveness demonstrated positive associations with average alcohol consumption per week, peak drinking, and heavy episodic drinking” (210). I don’t believe athletes are any different than other college students as far as the main reason to drink, but it is definitely possible that they have more stress from the week than a regular student based on their schedules.
I’m going to have to agree with everyone who said college athletes are under a lot of pressure. It’s hard to understand what they have to do on a daily basis unless you are living their day for them. It’s very difficult to be a college student athlete, because there is so much pressure put on you to do well on the court/ field, keep your grades up, and not to get into any trouble. And imagine being at an even bigger school that gets even more media attention. Imagine being the starting quarterback at USC, Florida, Texas, or Oklahoma. It’s hard to imagine these student athletes having a life. They can’t party, because in this day and age, camera phones will get you in a ton of trouble, they have to be careful of what they say to the media (which follows you around all the time), and they spent most of the day practicing or watching game tapes. So we all have to ask ourselves how these student athletes handle all this work.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to do for these athletes is to fold under the pressure, and start drinking. In the article entitled “Competitiveness and alcohol use among recreational and elite collegiate athletes” a good point was brought about alcohol use. “Leichliter et al. (1998) found that athletes who were team leaders consumed more alcohol and suffered from more adverse consequences as a result of their alcohol use than their teammates.” (Serraro, 206) This was quite surprising, but made sense. These team leaders are not only students, but they are also the leaders of a college team, and have so much pressure resting on their shoulders. They have other players looking at them for leadership, they have their coaches looking at them to provide leadership, and they are the face of a team that is covered by media.
But in the end, all these guys are very competitive, and want to do their best. These athletes have a lot of pride, and won’t fold easily under pressure. They will do whatever it takes to do their best, because they are so competitive. This competitive nature leads to another issue. The “Gambling behavior among college student athletes” article brought up another good point as to what this competitiveness can do to these student athletes. “Research into gambling among college students has generally found that students’ rates of gambling and problem gambling are particularly high. However, others have concluded that college students do not gamble more than other adults, and speculated that they are not at increased risk for problem gambling.” (Ellenboge, 350)
The fact that college athletes are turning to gambling is terrible. This could possibly get them into so much trouble. They could be suspended from the team for a season, or even be kicked out of school. If things get worse, they might be banned from playing NCAA sports ever again. Student – Athletes have so much going for them. They get to go to college for free. They are talented enough to keep playing the sport they love competitively for 4 more years. So why take this chance, and gamble. Take the competitiveness and let it out on the court. Don’t gamble, because if you get caught, you will regret it later on.
I really liked what Brett Utley said about being a student athlete. Sure it’s tough. Sure it takes a lot out of you psychologically. Of course you are under a lot of pressure to do well in games and in the class room. And obviously it’s tough to balance school work with practices and regular life. But these athletes also get a lot of help. They are really pushed to get their work done. They have study hours. Tutorial session. They are always reminded to get their work done. Brett said that being an athlete has made him a better student, and that during the season, his grades are up. That’s the definition of a student athlete. ….
… People always say that athletes get treated like royalty. But in the end, it’s well deserved. These guys represent our school at sporting events. Most people wouldn’t want to wake up in the morning having all this pressure resting on their shoulders. When everyone if out partying on a Friday or Saturday night, these guys are coming home tired form a game, or resting up for a game the next day. They get treated really well, but most of it is so that they can keep their grades up, and live their lives outside the classrooms and off the courts/ field just like the rest of us.
ReplyDelete-Robin Schuppert
I agree, being a student at Quinnipiac, or any college, and being a student athlete are two different things. While students at college go to classes, sometimes work and are involved in extracurricular activities, athletes do the same and also have to make time to manage their grades, go to practices and games, as well as work out often. Sometimes student athletes feel like they are left out because they have all of these extra things. Therefore they feel the need to find other ways to let loose and take on the social norm.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I know I could never be a successful college student as well as a collegiate athlete. I see how my boyfriend manages his classes, workouts, practices, games, rehab, film reviews, fraternity, as well as maintaining at least a 2.7 at Yale University. And when I say practices, I mean he wakes up Tuesday- Friday at 5:30am just to make it to practice on time. He has everything every day except no practices on Monday.
However, while most people assume athletes get benefits when it comes to academics and disciplines. I disagree with this because I feel that they have more expectations as an athlete and if they do not meet those expectations they are not only scolded by their parents, but also by their coaches, and usually frowned upon by their own teammates. Even intramural athletes are treated differently. “Intramural athletes consumed significantly more drinks per week, had higher typical and peak blood alcohol concentration levels, and reported significantly more negative alcohol-related consequences than non-athletes” (Serrao 206).
Most athletes have that desire to engage in competitive actions more regularly than non-athletic college students. A reason for this may because they are able to be social in a large group, because they are on a sports team. For example, “Athletes may be more likely than other students to participate in drinking games, and thus engage in more high-risk drinking, because drinking games simulate actual athletic competition in that they consist of teams,
winners, losers, and spectators” (Serrao 207). Meaning that even off the field athletes cannot help but fulfill their competitive desire. While one cannot blame the want to play games on being an athlete, it however has an impact on drinking. They even have drinking games that are made to use certain aspects of a baseball game, such as, catching outs, 3 outs per team, 3 strikes you’re out, 4 bases means another run and you can steal. All of this is shown by drinking.
Besides drinking, the competitive drive athletes have, have an impact another problem, gambling. While gambling is addictive in general, “athletes are at an increased risk for gambling problems because of the competitive spirit fostered in their social environment” (Ellenbogen 351). Gambling includes the speed or thrill that athletes may derive from the sport in which they play; therefore, this is another way that athletes may feel the freedom of acting competitive and not have to worry as much, because it’s seen as a hobby compared to their actual sport. However, college athletes are usually asked not to partake in gambling because it may lead to addiction, and could cause even more problems.
Overall, college athletes are treated different, depending on the school. However, it should be noted that to be a college student athlete it is a lot harder than not having to deal with scheduling classes around practice and workouts. While it’s said that athletes need to be focused on their sports because they have scholarships rewarded to them, it’s much more than a sport to them, it’s their job. Being competitive can drive various other situations that may be difficult to turn away from, such as drinking or gambling, but athlete’s need to take into account their priorities.
There is no question that the life of student athletes are restricted. Mike touched upon basically every point there is to say..we have curfews, early morning practices, power hours, people breathing down our necks about grades and just about everything else. I know that every decision I make on and off the field will reflect myself and my team as a whole so keeping this in mind is basically a constant thought. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time can have severe consequences that you could not see coming.
ReplyDeleteFrom a personal point of view, I do not see the competitiveness of gambling attracting specifically student athletes. I think that gambling itself has the risk of competitiveness in which kids can get caught up in it, but I am not so sure that it is specifically aimed just at student athletes. Like Evan said before, all we have to do is be smart. I know that if I get caught gambling illegally, even if I did put 5 bucks down on a Uconn basketball game to make it interesting with a friend, then that can cost me 4 years of eligibility. "Only a very small number of student athletes
reported major infractions" (349).
As athletes we get pounded with meetings about school regulations, ncaa regulations, team regulations, etc. I think many of us know better.
“The current study hypothesized that a sport-related personality trait, competitiveness, may contribute to alcohol use among individuals participating in athletics,” (Serrao 206)..I also think that this is not true. During our season, we barely have time to go out and drink. With games every friday and sunday, our weekends are shot. And if everybody on the team takes games seriously then nobody is going to go out on a night before a game. I was surprised when I saw this quote. I know plenty of non athletes out there at Quinnipiac who go on a 7 day binge drinking just for fun, just because they can. For some reason it just seems like student athletes are targeted for certain topics.
The stereotypes of college athletes are out there, and are accurate in describing some players, but not all. The majority of student-athletes I know here at QU, and friends I grew up with who are D-I athletes are hard working, and are not the kid taking a nap in class, and texting a booty call.
ReplyDeleteThere are examples of athletes who do fit the stereotype, and we see them in the news, whether it be Matt Leinart, Chris Webber, etc. Unfortunately, it can be a case of one bad apple spoiling the bunch, which is greatly unfair to the hardworking student-athletes who are understanding why "student" comes first in that term.
Serrao claims that "In Sum, research has shown that college athletes tend to drink more than other college students and that a higher level of athletic involvement is associated with greater alcohol use." People like Matt Leinart and Michael Beasley gain national attention with their alcohol use, but not all college athletes party excessively. Many college teams have a "dry season," where they are not permitted to drink at any time. Emily Doucette, a track and cross country runner at Loyola College in Maryland, says "It's definitely effective because it keeps us healthy and ensures that we're able to compete at our optimum level. It also brings us together as a team."
Athletes such as Doucette follow these policies not specifically because they're afraid of getting in trouble, but because it benefits them as athletes and their team. The stereotypes of college athletes seem to apply more to the football and basketball programs at the big time BCS schools. It's unfortunate that student athletes everywhere, especially athletes in sports such as track, soccer, etc. that don't get the spotlight, are grouped into this inaccurate stereotype of the student athlete.
I agree that being a student-athlete is not everything it is made to be especially at a very competitive academic school like Quinnipiac. By just working with the basketball team here, I see how demanding being an athlete is. I know how much of my life it consumes so I can only imagine how their bodies are feeling after a 3 hour practice. The two studies done by Serrao and Ellenbogen about gambling and drinking were very interesting. Personally, I am a very competitive person. I hate losing at anything. I think being competitive is great and you need to be competitive to move up in all aspects of life. That is just my personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn the study about drinking, Serrao concludes, "The findings from the current study indicate that competitiveness contributes to alcohol use among both athletes and nonathletes alike. In addition, this study demonstrates that for athletes, high levels of competitiveness are positively correlated with peak drinking and heavy episodic drinking, with the most competitive athletes at the greatest risk for drinking large amounts of alcohol in one episode" (213). Now I know that statistics don't lie, but I cannot totally agree with this statement based on personal experience. My friend is an athlete at his school and is one of the most competitive people I have ever met. He has told me there are drinking competitions between the basketball and football teams where people literally make themselves throw up so they can drink more. He has never had a sip of alcohol in his life. Does this make him not competitive? I do not think being competitive is an excuse for excessive drinking. You can still be very competitive and not drink just because you are healthy. You can also flip this around and say that he doesn't drink because he is so competitive and it will give him an advantage in some way over others who do drink.
When it comes to gambling, I feel like my competitiveness will come in more than drinking (I personally do not drink). I find gambling fun, but I know when to stop. I think that most athletes are highly competitive, but most know that if they gamble they will get in trouble. According to the study done on gambling, Ellenbogen states, ""Only a very small number of student athletes reported major infractions" (349). Once again, I think because some people are so competitive, they are likely to not do something like gamble because it will not allow them to play.
Overall, I think competitiveness is a very good thing and should not be used as an excuse or reason that people excessively gamble or drink. I think that being an athlete sometimes is a reason not to do these things. I think that these studies are interesting, but I think that there are other factors to why people drink and gamble.
As someone who has lived the life as a regular student and then experienced a short stint as a student athlete, I know first hand that the lives are almost too far apart to compare. As a student athlete, my day was first built around my classes, and then whenever practice was scheduled for. Practice usually ran for a minimum of 3 hours, If I was lucky I could have a semi-normal meal schedule. Then, on top of that there were power hours that had to be scheduled and completed. Literally every day was non-stop from when I woke up to when I went to sleep. Add practices at 8 am on weekends. This only lasted 3 weeks, but they were unlike anything I'd ever experienced. They were hectic, but by the end I was getting used to it.
ReplyDeleteAs a normal student, I have a lot more time. I can sleep in on the weekends, and I can do my homework where and when I want to. As a result my grades have improved. Also, I was a lot less stressful. However, I still wish I wasn't cut from the team. One can talk about how "tough" life is for a student athlete, but its part of what you signed up for. The expectations are high, but thats D-1 athletics.
As far as gambling goes, I actually gambled regularly on centsports.com. It wasn't an addiction, but more something I did for fun, as it wasn't my money in the first place. I did it just as something as an exercise in predicting games to test my sports knowledge. I was pretty good too. They give you 10 cents to start out and I got up to 70 dollars right before I had to stop because of the NCAA's gambling rules. According to the study done on gambling, Ellenbogen said that, ""Only a very small number of student athletes reported major infractions" (349) However, what I was doing would have been put me in that small group, so I had to stop.
I agree with the comments made about the life of a student athlete. The student-athlete is more than just an athlete; they are a representative for the school. This is why I feel the strict schedules and coaches rules are enforced by the schools.
ReplyDeleteStudents face strict regulations but some of them I feel are too strict. One of those is the gambling. I think it is ridiculous that an athlete or even a coach for that matter can get in trouble when gambling. Yes, betting on your own sport or team is very illegal but for a player or coach was to bet on the Super Bowl, they could face a penalty. “In the USA, Engwall et al. (2004) examined the results of a survey of 1,348 college students in Connecticut. Students participating in either club or intercollegiate sports programs were found to be significantly more likely to have gambling problems.” (Ellenbogen, p.350) Now I’m not trying to say an addiction to gambling is a good thing but if there are numerous student-athletes with problems it means they are still gambling. As long as students can keep it controlled and the bets a person places has no out come on their team or anyone in their sport for any colligate division, then I do not see a problem.
Although the athlete has a strict schedule they do still have the best job of all which is playing a sport in college. No matter what the sport may be, it is still impressive to be competing on such a level.
I have been playing sport all my life; I have also been a student for almost all of my life. The pressure on student athletes is that most need to time manage. There are many stereotypes of jock and jocks in college. I agree with Michael that most people think that jocks get off easy, but they really don’t. Being an athlete here at Quinnipiac I learn this. Maybe I do get to miss class here or there but that ends up hurting me in the end.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, “Competitiveness and Alcohol Use Among Recreational and Elite Collegiate Athletes,” the authors, Serrao, Martins, Martens, and Rocha, mention the involvement of alcohol in college athletes. They said, “Several national studies have shown that intercollegiate athletes are more likely than their non-athlete counterparts to report heavy episodic drinking.” I feel that everyone at for example the University of Florida looks up to Tim Tebow and much better known athletes. I feel that the pressure of being a student athlete may get to some of them and they may being to drink more heavily. They need to understand that student comes before athlete, Student Athlete.
There are NCAA rules against student athletes gambling even like things like the World Series or March Madness. Most people do it any way though. In the article, “Gambling Behavior Among College Student-Athletes.” The authors, Ellennbogen, Jacobs, DEREVENSKY, GUPTA, PASKUS said, “Gambling among student athletes represents a multifaceted problem, particularly when examining sports wagering. If student athletes incur significant losses or develop associations with other gamblers, they may be pressured to use or share information concerning collegiate games, or possibly alter their performance to influence the outcome of games. Some people feel relaxed when the bet on games, if athletes get in the habit of this and maybe become professionals they could get in big trouble. Athletes have a lot of pressure on them I just don’t know if it is more than the average person.