| Abstrakt: |
In this paper, we seek to examine the effect of college athletic programs' economic priorities on student-athletes' perceptions of sport and study. Additionally, we ask what messages student-athletes receive about education and sports at home and at school, how specific sports and athletic departments affect the student-athletes' perceptions of having a professional sports career, and how student-athletes divide their time and energy between academics and athletics. Based on interviews conducted with 11 graduated student-athletes, we find that student-athletes' decisions about the balance between the books and the playing field is largely based on pragmatic considerations, such as taking harder classes in the off-season, as described by the Adlers (Adler and Adler 1985). However, their intimate personal connections with family and significant others have an influence on whether they exercise that pragmatism. Maturity also appears to have some effect on increasing pragmatism and academic focus for some student-athletes; as they got further into college, the game's importance diminished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
