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Mold Athlete Recruits' Mentality: Socialization & Community Responsibility 101Apr 08 '00 Write an essay on this topic.All throughout high school, I played Soccer. My team won two championships. For two years, I was also a track and field athlete. I know what pressure can be applied on you when you face all of these fans who can get close to worshipping your athletic skills. If you are not well-grounded, all of this can go up to your head. You know, the ego factor! Despite my relatively great Soccer skills, athleticism was not what helped me get to college. My academic achievement did the job for me. Once I got into my Junior college, two Football coaches kept building my hope. They looked at my broad shoulders, size, and height and said that I could be on their team. They tried hard to recruit me. I only wanted to play Soccer. Since there was not a Soccer team, I focused on my studies. To tell you the truth, I did feel flattered by their recruiters' unsuccessful attempts. I can tell you a few things about to what great length some recruiters will go to plant some seeds of hope in your head. Don't believe all that the recruiters may tell you. They are on a mission! They will call you, make you offers and even visit your school and home. You will be surprised by the amount of letters you will be receiving. Each recruiter will paint your college experience with a different brush. Remember that they are spinmasters. You are just a number among all of their prospects. You may be the first one to go if they run into hotter prospects. This is the time you need an independent support system which you can find in your parents and close family friends with some level of experience in the field. Don't let all the hype get to your head! Remember that even if you are recruited to play a specific discipline, you are still a student. Nothing makes you the king of the hill. You still fall under the same policies and guidelines that the college or university goes by. After all the attention you had received during the recruiting phase, you may think that you can do as you please on campus. Yes, you have helped coach win games. He/she may be pleased with you because after all he/she has to deliver. The community as well as the college boards are keeping track of his win/loss records. They've been paid to win and make the institution more famous. Be smart. Watch the treatment received by the injured athletes. You are needed as long as you are in good health and don't run into trouble. Student athletes, what makes you think that everybody, all other students, your classmates and peers must kiss your sore feet or knees? It is time that you change your attitude towards them, your education and life in general. I am not going to lay all the blame on you because you have been caught up in the larger American mentality and attitude towards sports heroes. In my multiple interactions with athletes throughout my studies, they tend to feel that they are of a special stock. (Very few of them are down to earth.) This is where most of the problems faced by the recruiting institutions starts. These star students go out and commit crimes which bring down the image of the whole community. No matter how good and morally upstanding the coaches and administration may be, the amount of bad press brought by the illegal acts of these students may lead one to think twice. These acts may outweigh the benefits of winning games. I could cite many recent examples of scandalous programs here. The NCAA and recruiting institutions would do a much better job appealing to these youngsters' sense of responsibility not only towards the school but also towards the whole community. A lot of these kids find themselves being thrown into the spotlight. They have no clues about how to handle, for example, the press seeking sensationalistic info. Socialization, skills-building services should be part of the contract besides the strong emphasis on completing their education.  |
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