Introduction
College athletics are reportedly removed from academic achievements, but this statement might be argued. Recent research shows that athletics highlight athletic success more than academic success. That is why athletics at the college promotes academic success, participation in standardized tests, and higher academic rates by developing essential skills, encouraging competitions, and providing students with more opportunities for the future.
Athletics as an Encouraging Factor for Students
Athletics at the college is not a distracting factor for academic success; it might encourage students to study harder, as it develops different essential skills and increases college graduation rates. According to a study by the NCAA (2022), student-athletes are graduating at record rates. For instance, in 2022, it was reported that the student-athlete graduation rate was 90% among Division I students and 74% for Division II (NCAA, 2022). These rates illustrate that students who continue doing sports at the college level are strong enough in athletics and study.
Athletic success at the College of Ohio is seen due to higher graduation rates and scores on standardized tests (Bowen & Greene, n. d). The NCAA report is a valuable source, proving that student-athletes have high graduation rates at college. The study on Ohio College emphasizes the connection between positive academic achievement and athletic success. However, some people may state that college athletes get special treatment, resulting in achieving academic success. The provided research proves otherwise – high school and college athletes are given no preferred treatment and face the same academic standards as others.
Promotion of Valuable Skills with the Help of Athletics
College athletics promotes valuable skills for students, making them more resistant, and the difference between academic success and non-athletes is tiny (John et al., 2013). By participating in school athletics, students learn how to work in a team, become more disciplined, and learn new skills, such as time management, which help them to achieve academic success (Matheson, 2007). These skills are further developed in college athletics and help athletes to avoid gaps during their studies.
The NCAA study supports the positive connection between athletic and leadership skills. In addition, a study conducted by John J. McArdle, Thomas S. Paskus, and Steven M. Boker illustrated that NCAA student-athletes had similar academic performances as their non-athlete peers. Athletics may be too overwhelming, and it might be challenging to combine study and sport. As a result, this may lead to burnout. Nevertheless, the studies used above did not find such reposts or evidence.
Racial Composition as an Obstacle in Academic Success Among Athletes
The low academic rates among athletes, especially in basketball or football, are seen due to racial differences rather than academical, so athletics itself does not negatively influence academic success. It was reported that African-American athletic students are observed to have lower academic success than other athletes (Matheson, 2007).
According to the NCAA report (2022), student-athletes have graduated at record rates. In addition, 35% of African-American students were enrolled in college compared to 60% of white students due to racial differences. The NCAA report shows the academic success of athlete students. The research proves that African-American athletes’ low graduation rates are connected to racial composition. Athletes may be unwilling to study and have adverse academic outcomes. However, the research did not find supportive claims for it.
Opposing Viewpoints
The first opposing viewpoint is that athletic success may increase pressure on student-athletes and create an unhealthy competitive environment. Athletes can indeed get injuries and face pressure. In addition, prejudices, such as racial discrimination, lead to an unhealthy environment (Matheson, 2007). However, the general benefits of sports, such as discipline, time management, and other essential skills, outweigh this drawback.
The second opposing viewpoint says that athletics may receive too much emphasis and resources at the expense of other important school programs. Still, the research has illustrated that athletics programs can promote academic success and encourage students to study hard to achieve great results (Bowen & Greene, n. d).
Conclusion
To sum up, provided reports and research shows that athletics benefits students. Sports provide students with many valuable skills and encourage them to study. In addition, the differences in academic success between athletes and non-athletes are tiny and mainly based on racial composition. Lastly, the provided reports showed that athletes-students graduate with excellent academic results.
References
Bowen, D. H., & Greene, J. P. (n.d.). Does athletic success come at the expense of academic success? University of Arkansas.
John J. McArdle , Thomas S. Paskus & Steven M. Boker. (2013). A Multilevel Multivariate Analysis of Academic Performances in College Based on NCAA Student-Athletes, Multivariate Behavioral Research, 48(1), 57-95. Web.
Matheson, V. A. (2007). Athletic graduation rates and Simpson’s paradox. Economics of Education Review, 26, 516-520.
National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2022). Student-athletes continue to graduate at record rates. NCAA. Web.