March 2, 2022

Student Athlete Success

Designing Experiences

By Elliot Felix

According to the NCAA, there are more than 460,000 intercollegiate student athletes in the U.S. These athletes have a different college experience than many of their peers — one with a highly-controlled schedule, specialized spaces and support services, a more heightened sense of camaraderie than other students may find, and new ways to earn money based on their name, image, and likeness. 

Life as a student athlete can be just one more challenge in a period already fraught with adjustment to college. And while students may be getting all sorts of advice about leaving home or choosing a major, they may not be hearing much about how to prepare for success as a student athlete. 

To help student athletes succeed in college or university life, I spoke with student athlete expert Bill Carter for a chapter in my upcoming book, How to Get the Most Out of College. I narrowed down his insight into six top tips, outlined below and expounded upon in my book.

“Your time is not your own. You are being told where to be. Where to eat. When to be in the weight room. That push and pull by real authority figures lends itself to a higher level of stress.” – Bill Carter, Student-Athlete Insights

What Student Athletes Can do to Take Advantage of What Colleges and Universities Offer 

Based on my talk with Carter and research on student athlete success, here are five strategies colleges and universities can recommend to their student athletes so they can feel connected and supported and be successful in college: 

1. Head to the student athlete center on campus for resources provided with you in mind. Colleges and universities often bring together students, alumni, faculty, and staff with something in common in a center or office. A student athlete center will let you make friends with and find support from other student athletes, as well as others who are well-versed in the challenges you’ll face. It’s also a place that brings together support services like tutoring and career development as well as events and programs such as workshops on networking or time management. The student athlete office is a great place in which to create a support network before you need it and find answers when questions arrive. 

John E. Jaqua Center for Student Athletes at University of Oregon (Credit ZGF)

2. Create clear boundaries to help navigate parental involvement. Often, student athletes are supported by parents or other family members who are accustomed to doing anything they need to help their child succeed. After years of shuttling their kids to practice, washing their uniforms, and cooking them specific meals to help meet weight goals, these parents may not be ready to let go when their children move on. Unfortunately, they won’t have the opportunity to continue to stay quite so involved once you’re learning to live on your own and manage your own schedule. It can be best for everyone that you think about what boundaries you need to set with your family and have that conversation before it’s too late. 

3. Find ways to benefit from the same programs into which you’re pouring your time and money. Most schools have well-developed athletics programs. If you’re only looking to capitalize on your status as a student athlete on game days, you’ll miss out on plenty of other benefits. Make sure you’re proactive in asking your coaches and advisors about opportunities to develop leadership skills, network with alumni and potential employers, or receive extra tutoring for tough classes. Your athletics program has a vested interest in ensuring your satisfaction and academic success, and it’s important to take advantage of any services they can offer. 

4. Capitalize on potential connections with alumni. Carter recommends that all incoming freshman student athletes ask their coaching staff how they can access their alumni network for career development. It’s these former players or participants who can truly speak to your next great transition: from your school to the world at large. You can start creating these relationships through alumni networking events, via social media, or with direct introductions by your coaches or teammates. The longer you can maintain these relationships through college, the more likely they are to stick once you’re gone, so starting early is the best way to ensure success. 

Student Athletes and Leading Career Aspirations, from Student-Athlete Insights

5. Come to terms with a loss of control. One thing that Carter mentioned was that studies show that student athletes often experience high levels of stress due to the high levels of control exercised on them by trainers, coaches, advisors, and others. “Your time is not your own. You’re being told where to go. Where to eat. When to be in the weight room. That push and pull by real authority figures lends itself to a higher level of stress.” One way to manage these stress levels is to focus on what is in your control. Deciding in advance what battles are worth fighting minimizes your chances of burning out too quickly or becoming known as a problematic student athlete.  

6. Cultivate your personal brand and make money from the use of your name, image, and likeness. All college student athletes can participate in name, image, and likeness. At the time of this book’s publishing, nearly 40 states have legislation that allows student athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image, or likeness. In states that have not passed NIL legislation, the NCAA interim policy allows for them to participate in NIL activities without resulting in a loss of their eligibility. Carter notes that it’s important for student athletes to truly understand the rules surrounding such activities. Once they do, they can cultivate a personal brand online and in person and think creatively to truly capitalize on this money-making opportunity. You can think of this venture like another job — one that requires thought, planning, and time, but shouldn’t take over your life. 

Student athletes face a lot of responsibility and a lot of stress. However, in brightspot’s student experience surveys, they also consistently have the highest levels of satisfaction with their college or university experience and rank highest for feelings of belonging, risk-taking, teamwork, personal growth, and perceived support. These new responsibilities and challenges are accompanied by opportunities to make lifelong connections and memories. 

Athlete vs. Non-Athlete Student Experience Data, brightspot’s 2019 Student Experience Snapshot

Knowing that your student experience will be different from many of your peers’ doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. Instead, use this knowledge to prepare in advance and do your research. After all, your relationship with your athletics department should be a two-way street. If you aren’t benefiting from your involvement, then talk to someone about how you could be. 

For additional ways to improve student experience, learn about other common student experience challenges and brightspot’s proven strategies for addressing these challenges based on our conversations with 50+ colleges and universities. 

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