College Student-Athletes

A volume in Educational Policy in the 21st Century:Opportunities, Challenges, and SolutionsSeries Editor Bruce Anthony Jones,University of South FloridaThis volume is a critical and objective study of the contemporary college student athlete.Framed around the process of recruitment, transition, and support of student athletesin higher education, the volume is a response to societal pressures to reformcollege athletics. Driven by publicity and the potential for revenue gains, colleges anduniversities have invested heavily in developing athletic programs, coaches, and facilities.Yet few resources are invested strategically in the personal and intellectual developmentof student athletes.Written by a team of authors with first-hand experience working with student athletesand transitional programs, the volume argues that institutional attention must be directed at caring for the personal andintellectual growth of student athletes. Highlighting some best-practice curricula and exploring the psychological issuessurrounding participating in often highly-competitive athletics, the authors consistently conclude that institutional responsibilityis of the utmost and immediate importance.Authors also consider the unique settings of student athletes in community and private liberal arts colleges, demonstratingthe broad interest in athletics and institutional competition. The result is an important volume that will be of interest tothose who counsel and administer intercollegiate athletic programs, faculty and researchers looking for insightful baselinedata on the contemporary student athlete, and those concerned with transitional programsand the future of higher education.