A conceptual model of academic success for student-athletes

Comeaux, Eddie, & Harrison, Keith C. (2011). A conceptual model of academic success for student-athletes. Educational Researcher, 40(5), 235-245.

The authors present a concise discussion of factors influencing student athletes’ academic success. They propose and explain a model that shows how all of those factors might work together to create either positive or negative outcomes for student athletes. Central to this model is the authors’ conception of three different types of commitment: Goal commitment (the goal being completing a university degree), sport commitment (the time and energy given to sports participation) , and institutional commitment (commitment to remaining at a particular university and graduating from there). In the model shown here, these three commitments come into play in two places: at the beginning of the student-athlete’s college experience, when those commitments affect social and academic integration, and later on, when the effect is reversed and social and academic integration affect the three kinds of commitment. Academic and social integration, and the all-important balance between the two, seems to be a powerful influence on how well student athletes succeed in college.

The model was devised to describe the experiences of elite student-athletes at Division 1 schools. My own experience is at smaller schools, so I was not able to relate quite as well to the issues discussed here as my colleagues at nearby state universities might be. I have wondered how faculty members at larger universities perceive the presence of elite athletes in their classes. I wonder how many of those student athletes find their way into, or complete, teacher education programs in such institutions. What, indeed, are their typical majors? What are their career aspirations? Only a few of them will be able to build lifelong careers that are connected to sports--as professional athletes, Division 1 coaches, or sports broadcasters. What sorts of futures will be open to those who cannot enter sports-related careers? It seems to me that if universities want to appropriate and benefit from the talents of these young people, they also have a responsibility to see to it that those young people have an academic career that creates some options for them. Even at a small university, I see how all-consuming sports participation can be for student athletes, and how demanding the sports commitment is. Student-athletes miss many classes and do not have as much time and energy for study as other students may (though their situation may not be any more demanding than that of my nontraditional students who juggle jobs and families with full-time studies). As one of my students explained when I expressed concern about missing my class too much, “If I don’t do what Coach says, I lose my scholarship, and I don’t go to school.”

A complicating factor is that many elite athletes come from pre-college academic situations that are less than optimal when it comes to predicting college success. Many student athletes are male, African-American, and attended urban high schools in high-poverty areas. Those students in this group who have higher high school GPAs, who have parents with higher academic attainment, and who have families that support academic goals tend to do better in college, but what about those who do not have those advantages? Athletic talents have provided the opportunity to attend prestigious universities, but such students may not be set up for academic success. The authors mention a program called the “Scholar Baller” program that attempts to bridge the gap for students like this by using popular culture to build higher level thinking skills and make the college curriculum more relevant. I’d like to learn more about this program, and will have to do so before I can comment on it as an alternative. There is no reason a program that incorporates popular culture cannot be as rigorous as any program and cannot employ higher order, college-level thinking. Some might worry that such a program might be “watered-down” and actually narrow the opportunities of student athletes while serving mainly to keep them eligible. Student athletes are in a position to reap valuable rewards from their talents, but they also are in a position to be exploited. Universities need to make sure that any programs especially tailored to particular populations like student athletes serve to create choices and opportunities rather than limiting them.