The Career Readiness of Intercollegiate Athletes: Is There a Gender Gap?

Career development is one of the major objectives of universities. It is well-known that intercollegiate athletes have many time commitments that make it more challenging for them to focus on their career development. To compound this issue, the effectiveness of career development efforts may be impacted by the gender of the intercollegiate athlete. The purpose of this study was to examine the career readiness of student-athletes, focusing on differences based on gender. This was accomplished through the lenses of the social cognitive career theory and career decision self-efficacy. A total of 137 intercollegiate student-athletes at a large Midwestern university completed a career readiness instrument. It was found that there were differences between genders in the intercollegiate athlete’s perceived career readiness. Female intercollegiate student-athletes indicated lower levels of ability on career related skills, less confidence in their problem solving, higher levels of general indecisiveness about career choice, and a higher need for self-knowledge. There were similarities between the genders as well, such as the need for more career information and levels of career choice anxiety. Recommendations for programs to assist student-athletes in their career readiness and for areas of future research are provided

Parental involvement in the lives of intercollegiate athletes

Research has been growing on the topic of parental involvement in the lives of their children, and the concept of overinvolved parents. Little research has examined these topics in regards to intercollegiate student-athletes. This study addresses that gap by examining parental involvement in regards to intercollegiate student-athletes and their athletic and academic endeavors. Specifically it examines how involved parents are in the lives of their intercollegiate student-athlete children, and the concept of overinvolvement in regards to this population. A qualitative, case-study method was utilized for this research. Participants included eight intercollegiate student-athletes and the five academic advisors for athletics that worked with them. Participants completed two interviews and one journal, and all of the data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. The themes that emerged were types of involvement, increasing involvement, overinvolvement, outcomes of overinvolvement, and the fine line between healthy involvement and overinvolvement. The present study offers insight into how student-athletes and academic advisors perceive parental involvement. This knowledge can be utilized by practitioners to improve how they communicate with parents and student-athletes. Also, researchers can employ this information to improve the overall understanding of parental involvement in regards to athletes.

Utilization and Impact of Career Services Among Collegiate Athletes

Career readiness is a concern within the American educational system, particularly among student-athletes that must manage intense time commitments both on and off the field. Student services have emerged in higher education to support career preparation, but the utilization and impact of these services for collegiate athletes is largely unknown. The systems-theory framework (STF) of career development identifies a multitude of internal and external factors that influence individual career development. Guided by STF, the purpose of this study was to predict the factors that influence collegiate athletes\u27 utilization of career services and resulting perceived career skills. An online questionnaire was distributed to collegiate athletes at a Division I university, resulting in 143 collegiate athletes completing the questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated collegiate athletes’ familiarity with career services significantly predicted their utilization of career services. In turn, utilization of only four of nine career services investigated (i.e., Careers Online, Career Fairs, Career Workshops, and Athletic Academic Advisor) significantly predicted perceived career skills positively. Implications for the design and marketing of career services for collegiate athletes are discussed

Parental involvement in the lives of intercollegiate athletes

Research has been growing on the topic of parental involvement in the lives of their children, and the concept of overinvolved parents. Little research has examined these topics in regards to intercollegiate student-athletes. This study addresses that gap by examining parental involvement in regards to intercollegiate student-athletes and their athletic and academic endeavors. Specifically it examines how involved parents are in the lives of their intercollegiate student-athlete children, and the concept of overinvolvement in regards to this population. A qualitative, case-study method was utilized for this research. Participants included eight intercollegiate student-athletes and the five academic advisors for athletics that worked with them. Participants completed two interviews and one journal, and all of the data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. The themes that emerged were types of involvement, increasing involvement, overinvolvement, outcomes of overinvolvement, and the fine line between healthy involvement and overinvolvement. The present study offers insight into how student-athletes and academic advisors perceive parental involvement. This knowledge can be utilized by practitioners to improve how they communicate with parents and student-athletes. Also, researchers can employ this information to improve the overall understanding of parental involvement in regards to athletes.