THE ACADEMIC ATHLETE
The Coach Has A Responsibility
By Todd Cotton
Here are some of his thoughts:
As Athletic Coaches, we have a unique opportunity to influence the direction a young person's life might take. Oftentimes we find ourselves in the position of parent, hero, friend, and always leader. As a college coach, I attempted to recruit the student-athlete every time over the "jock!" My basketball programs built a reputation as some of the most exciting and successful programs in the United States. There were many reasons for this acclaim but one stands out more than any other; a strong belief in the philosophy that athletics are a true function of the educational process.
Coaches must pay close attention to the qualities of mind that are needed for athletic success. Most athletes are ready to make an effort in a game, few are ready to carry their efforts through months or years of training. Each one, be it male or female, must develop a degree of concentration and enjoyment, which aid in a clear-sighted sense of purpose that reveals and creates the outstanding athletes that they can become. These inherent qualities are obvious in the greatest of student-athletes.
The athlete must understand there can be no hurry. The fundamental condition of the body and mind cannot be changed overnight, but it can be changed over a period of years, by intelligent, planned employment of all that is locked up in the personality. Athletes must listen, learn, persevere and perform. They must not turn back once they have begun. Academic as well as athletic training must be part of the mind and character of a true student-athlete.
In the earliest stages of this preparation, I used to sit down individually with the athletes and we discussed exactly what they wished to achieve, in the classroom and in the athletic arena. We then mapped out a route that we tried to follow for optimum results in both cases. The athletes fully understood that I would support and encourage them, but in the long run they train and study because they had the desire to succeed, not because someone else wanted them to succeed.
Nature cannot be pushed and there are no crash programs in the preparation of an athlete. The student-athlete must carefully cultivate their resources rather than trying to thrash them into life. They must have enough pride to follow through with the training cycle in a patient and intelligent manner.
Pride is an integral part of character and operates to make them want to carry through whatever plans have been conceived. It also operates to make the athlete want to beat other athletes, and after all, that is what sports is all about. While this kind of pride should not become an arrogance, it should be a pride which remains evident to its owner. This competitive drive seems to benefit the students in the classroom as well, if handled properly.
In closing, each coach and student would be well advised to keep athletics in its place. The student-athlete should be passionately involved to succeed, but above all, should strive to be a well rounded, sensitive, literate human being. Sports and athletics are not life itself. They are but a rich segment of life which will contribute immensely to the development of the individual. A saying that we saw every day while I was coaching said, "The will to win is not as important as the will to prepare to win." I believe that this thought should spill over into the athlete's personal life and give them the discipline they need to be a success in whatever avenue they may choose after graduation.
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