Athletic Sphere
Student-athletes who first arrive at college display great enthusiasm for their sport according to a study done by Patricia Miller. They sought individual achievement and a feeling of satisfaction associated with training vigorously and competing well. Throughout their university careers, the students implemented lifestyle changes as they complained of having little to no time for schoolwork and were often fatigued from athletics. As the athletics season intensified students fell behind on coursework and their grades began to suffer. The N.C.A.A (National Collegiate Athletic Association) regulated the amount of time student-athletes are allowed to train and provides a variety of resources to benefit student-athletes. However, student-athletes often don't take advantage of these resources early enough and experience a wake-up call when they receive a sub-par transcript. When academics take priority, as it should according to the N.C.A.A, athletic achievement takes a backseat. Student-athletes regularly experience great stress in achieving their maximum potential in academics, athletics and their social life. Therefore, they can become "burnt-out" meaning they no longer have the same drive and motivation to compete in sports as they once did. Athletic achievements are no longer pursued and instead social life becomes a priority as a student-athlete can feel excluded from other social realms within the "normal" student body. In addition, due to society's encouragement of "academics comes first," student-athletes will often choose their academic and social spheres over their athletic sphere. This is primarily due to the fact that after college, nearly all student-athlete's athletic careers come to an end as they realize obtaining a professional career is highly improbable. Therefore, student-athletes lose their ability to obtain athletic achievements, which consequently affects their self-esteem and confidence. This directly coincides with their social lives as a person's image of themselves affects how they interact with others.