The Plight?

So one of the classes I am taking for my degree, is about the "plight" of the student athlete...I'm not joking they actually use the word "plight" often in this book. 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?.....PLIGHT?" was my first reaction.  Because, I am not a student athlete and I've never really known anyone who was determined to "go pro."  (Except for T-ball moms who were sure that their 5 year old was going to.....)  And to be entirely honest, I've never cared much for athletes, well maybe that is not strictly true, but what is true is that I've never cared for the programs and institutions that put them on a pedestal as representing all that's good for student success.   Student athletes in high schools are the popular kids, the beautiful kids, the talented kids.  Student athletes in college are stars, celebrities, and role models.  That social status based on athletic skill alone is not doing anyone any favors...particularly the student athlete......

All the really valuable things you can learn from football, you can also learn from being a member of a choir, a cast, or an academic club, like team work, determination, and dealing with adversity.   And conversely all the really damaging things about football, can also happen if you over-invest your time and energy in a choir, a cast, or an academic club.  (Well....except for concussions...but then again musical theatre can be pretty dangerous!)

A student athlete is more than just a a football player, or a tennis player....and they need to know "who they are".   AND  because the odds of "going pro" are so impossibly slim, student athletes (and their parents and coaches) need to be realistic about expectations for the future.

I am learning that student athletes do have a difficult time in college, but not any more difficult than a serious music major, or theatre student.  Expectations, time, and relationships are all things that need to be managed, and athletic involvement adds a different layer of complexity the the college experience.

Okay....I think I am done.  This class has ruined college football for me.....I don't care the guy's height and weight....I want to know their GPA and their major!