Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Do Big College Athletic Programs Send Misleading Messages to Kids?

Do Big College Athletic Programs Send Misleading Messages to Kids?

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | May 22, 2022

No Comments

A few weeks ago it was reported that the University of Texas spent over $7 million dollars…..remodeling their football locker room.  If that sounds like a whole lot of money for a locker room that’s because it is, but it’s just the latest example of colleges spending incredible amounts of money on athletics in an attempt to keep up with other colleges doing the same.  The more bells and whistles, the more attractive the school will be to future student athletes, in theory all leading to more wins on the field and revenue generated for the school.  Aside from professors, administrators, and other college personnel questioning the integrity of spending this much money on a locker room, how good is this for kids?  Is it more important for young people to see universities investing millions of dollars into research labs and related educational needs, or watch those same dollars go toward fancy football locker rooms?  With only so much money to spend each year colleges literally make these kinds of choices, and the consequences that flow from those decisions impact public perception — including the perception of high school student athletes.

Only a small number of kids play college sports

While it might be attractive and enticing for high school student athletes to see multi-million dollar college locker rooms, it is important to keep in mind just how rare it is for a young person to make it to college sports.  Critics argue that college sports are big business, and in order to run a successful big business you must attract the best athletes — and what better way to draw attention to your program than having lockers that actually glow and cost upwards of $10,000 per.  If you want to get the attention of a 17 year old high school senior, this is definitely one way to do it.

Admittedly, a $7 million dollar college locker room is not going do anything harmful to high school student athletes, but it does send a powerful message about how athletes are treated at the college.  For some high school student athletes, seeing such a glamorous locker room and other athletic facilities can paint a picture that does not necessarily reflect reality for most student athletes — that is, all this can be yours if you choose to play at _______ university!  Unfortunately, with only about 5% of all high school student athletes awarded the chance to play college sports, only a very small percent will have the opportunity to claim as their own a glowing, $8,700 locker.

Important decisions for colleges

The question is not can a school invest over $7 million into their athletic locker room, but more a question of should they make such investments?  Are football locker rooms more important than, say, labs and educational facilities/technology?  What about if that same money were instead directed toward increased mental health services, as we are currently witnessing a spike in mental health issues and suicide.  Is the right message being sent to aspiring high school student athletes that decked out locker rooms are what is most important?  While it is understandable that increasingly more colleges see the return on investment for impressing future star recruits to attend their university, where does integrity enter?  Or keeping the emphasis on education over athletics?  Or are those days now long gone?

Final thoughts

The trend to invest millions of dollars into college athletic personnel and training facilities is very alive, and the message being sent to future student athletes is that there is no cost that won’t be considered when it comes to providing their best resources on campus — even better than what academic departments allot to their faculty and research centers.  As a result, increasingly more student athletes are being caught up in the glitz and glamor of it all, and may be compromised in their thinking by prioritizing things like a fancy locker room over more realistic factors, including majors offered at the college and other important academic features.

drstankovich.com

 

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • June 29, 2022 Don’t Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • June 20, 2022 Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • June 15, 2022 Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • June 14, 2022 Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • June 8, 2022 Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success

PREVIOUS POST

Create your Own “Luck” by Better Positioning & Preparation

NEXT POST

What are the Psychological Costs to Living More in Social Media than Real Life?

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Athletic Department , Coach , Coaching , College , Emotional Intelligence , health , health psychology , Mental Disorders , mental health , mental illness , Performance Enhancement , Prep , Pro and College Sports , psychology , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized

Tags

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Don't Discount the Value of Fun, Unstructured Play for Kids Mental Health
  • Sports Parents & Coaches Can Use Youth Sports as a Mental Health Boost for Kids
  • Show Kids How Much You Care Before You Teach Them What You Know
  • Study Finds Team Sports May be Best for Kids & their Mental Health
  • Accepting that Life is Difficult is a Healthy 1st Step Toward Life Success
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • Avoid the Dangers of "Whataboutism" for Better Relationships & Improved Mental Health
  • Help Kids Maximize Youth Sports by Using Athletic Transferable Skills
  • Improve Mental Health by Means of Catharsis & Purging Negative Thoughts
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2022 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓