Literature Review
Student-athletes are known for balancing three spheres in college primarily consisting of academics, athletics, and a social life. However, there are numerous cases where one sphere suffers due to the time commitment required by the other two and the motivation and desire displayed by student-athletes, whether it is to excel in academics, athletics, or their social life. Numerous studies have been done on student-athletes. Meyer (1990) and Parham (1993) were concerned with whether or not social development was compromised by athletics in college. Miller (2002) observed how the three spheres interrelated and the effect each had on the other in student-athletes. Adler and Adler (1991) focused specifically on how the athletic sphere affected the academic academic sphere in student-athletes. Furthermore, Valiente et al. studied how academic achievement is linked to the emotional life of students.
The time a student-athlete commits and the stress he or she experiences as a result of sport, greatly alters the social experience during college, potentially affecting social development and emotional stability. Adler and Adler (1991) found that participating in college athletics led to isolation from the general student population which led to disengagement in academic matters. From an early age kids are told that it is important to do well in school and failing to do so would result in a harder future. When student-athletes struggle academically it influences their self-esteem and confidence making matters even worse. Valiente et al. (2012) found that there are negative associations between school outcomes and dispositional anxiety. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution the average SAT scores of football players at big programs were 220 points lower than the general student body. When athletes are recruited based on athletic achievement more than academic achievement it makes it even harder for athletes to assimilate into the student culture at a university. Topics of conversation often don't interrelate and the student-athletes can find it even harder to do well academically. Therefore, they have to commit even more time to their academics, further influencing their social life in a negative manner. Meyer (1990) and Parham (1993) found that social development was compromised by athletics.
While there are many different reactions to the consequences of being a student-athlete, there is no doubt that the life of a student-athlete greatly differs from that of a "normal" student. According to Miller (2002), student-athletes divided their lives among three central components: athletics, academics, and social activity. Throughout their college careers, student-athletes constantly shifted focus from one area to another, creating variation in their lives. Contrary to popular belief, student-athletes don't always put academics first but rather compromise educational success. This affects their social and emotional lives because academics directly relates to a reflection of how well you are doing in school. This is information that affects a person's outlook of themselves, which influences who and how they relate to others. In addition, Miller (2002) found that although student-athletes benefited from an immediate social support system in their team, their social interactions outside of athletics were limited and decreased throughout the years. This narrow social interaction is an example of how being a student-athlete affects an individual's social and emotional life. In my study I propose to further the knowledge of how student-athletes feel about their social lives as a result of their academics and athletics.
The time a student-athlete commits and the stress he or she experiences as a result of sport, greatly alters the social experience during college, potentially affecting social development and emotional stability. Adler and Adler (1991) found that participating in college athletics led to isolation from the general student population which led to disengagement in academic matters. From an early age kids are told that it is important to do well in school and failing to do so would result in a harder future. When student-athletes struggle academically it influences their self-esteem and confidence making matters even worse. Valiente et al. (2012) found that there are negative associations between school outcomes and dispositional anxiety. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution the average SAT scores of football players at big programs were 220 points lower than the general student body. When athletes are recruited based on athletic achievement more than academic achievement it makes it even harder for athletes to assimilate into the student culture at a university. Topics of conversation often don't interrelate and the student-athletes can find it even harder to do well academically. Therefore, they have to commit even more time to their academics, further influencing their social life in a negative manner. Meyer (1990) and Parham (1993) found that social development was compromised by athletics.
While there are many different reactions to the consequences of being a student-athlete, there is no doubt that the life of a student-athlete greatly differs from that of a "normal" student. According to Miller (2002), student-athletes divided their lives among three central components: athletics, academics, and social activity. Throughout their college careers, student-athletes constantly shifted focus from one area to another, creating variation in their lives. Contrary to popular belief, student-athletes don't always put academics first but rather compromise educational success. This affects their social and emotional lives because academics directly relates to a reflection of how well you are doing in school. This is information that affects a person's outlook of themselves, which influences who and how they relate to others. In addition, Miller (2002) found that although student-athletes benefited from an immediate social support system in their team, their social interactions outside of athletics were limited and decreased throughout the years. This narrow social interaction is an example of how being a student-athlete affects an individual's social and emotional life. In my study I propose to further the knowledge of how student-athletes feel about their social lives as a result of their academics and athletics.