Culture shock, academic stress, making the transition, and high athletic performance expectations are just some of the things student-athletes experience

Hardaway, Lisa

Lutt, Pat

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Different Perspectives on Majority Rules (1997) People of Color in Predominantly White Institutions April 1997 Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues Lisa Hardaway Wayne State College Pat Lutt Wayne State College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/pocpwi2  Part of the Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons Hardaway, Lisa and Lutt, Pat, "Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues" (1997). Different Perspectives on Majority Rules (1997). 33. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/pocpwi2/33 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the People of Color in Predominantly White Institutions at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Different Perspectives on Majority Rules (1997) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues  Lisa Hardaway Wayne State College Pat Lutt Wayne State College  Culture shock, academic stress, making the transition, and high athletic performance expectations are just some of the things student-athletes experience.  Retention of students is a priority for most colleges. Keeping retention as the focus, we have devised a pilot program for retaining at-risk student-athletes in general. A bonus of the program from minority student-athletes' perspective is how it helps dispel specific negative images of small Midwestern colleges as predominantly White institutions which care about their student-athletes only for their athletic ability. When we demonstrate more clearly our commitment to our students as scholars, we can accomplish two goals with one program: retention of at-risk student-athletes and higher graduation rates for minority students. Student-athletes do not live in a vacuum of only athletic friends. If the institution is supportive, they recommend the college to their family and friends. They will relay the message that people care about them as college students with futures and not just as those who perform well on the field. This improves admission possibilities in recruiting students as a whole from far-reaching regions and continues to improve the diverse climate on campus.  Recruiting at-risk athletes lends itself to needing more resources to develop their academic potential. At a small Midwestern college, the majority of the at-risk students are coming from the coasts and larger regional/state cities. The students simultaneously experience culture shock, academic stress, and high athletic performance expectations. All of these stressors add up to the seemingly insurmountable task of success in all of these areas. But, with assistance, each of these components can be dealt with separately and broken down using problem-solving skills. This way, the way the whole student-athlete benefits, not just the student or just the athlete.  Through our observations of student-athletes we have noticed failure is cyclic. When athletes start to feel frustrated on the field, a similar attitude is reflected in the classroom and in relationships (i.e., coach/player). Or if they start feeling frustrated in class work they tend to give up on academics and try harder on the field to compensate. Athletics and academics need to work in tandem, not one in exchange for the other.  In this presentation, we would like to discuss and brainstorm possibilities to stop the cycle of failure in the beginning. We have been using and propose enlarging daily academic tracking and athletic counseling that we hope will provide a systematic, holistic, institutional support system.  PRESENTERS Lisa Hardaway is a graduate of Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., where she also is the Academic Athletic Program Mentor. She was a Graduate Assistant for Humanities-English Composition/Literature. Her B.S.E. is in English and physical education with a minor in athletic training.  Pat Lutt is an Adjunct Instructor of sociology and business at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. She is on the National Issues Forum National Faculty and holds a B.S. in business administration/finance. She also has an M.S.E. in counseling-higher education with a focus on admissions and recruitment and athletic counseling and advising. Lutt is working toward an M.S.E. in sociology and sports interdisciplinary studies and is taking doctoral courses in community and human resource development. 

Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Different Perspectives on Majority Rules (1997) People of Color in Predominantly White Institutions 
April 1997 
Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic 
Avenues 
Lisa Hardaway 
Wayne State College 
Pat Lutt 
Wayne State College 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/pocpwi2 
 Part of the Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons 
Hardaway, Lisa and Lutt, Pat, "Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues" 
(1997). Different Perspectives on Majority Rules (1997). 33. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/pocpwi2/33 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the People of Color in Predominantly White Institutions at 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Different Perspectives on 
Majority Rules (1997) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic 
Avenues 
 
Lisa Hardaway 
Wayne State College 
Pat Lutt 
Wayne State College 
 
Culture shock, academic stress, making the transition, and high athletic 
performance expectations are just some of the things student-athletes experience. 
 
Retention of students is a priority for most colleges. Keeping retention as the focus, we 
have devised a pilot program for retaining at-risk student-athletes in general. A bonus of 
the program from minority student-athletes' perspective is how it helps dispel specific 
negative images of small Midwestern colleges as predominantly White institutions which 
care about their student-athletes only for their athletic ability. When we demonstrate 
more clearly our commitment to our students as scholars, we can accomplish two goals 
with one program: retention of at-risk student-athletes and higher graduation rates for 
minority students. Student-athletes do not live in a vacuum of only athletic friends. If the 
institution is supportive, they recommend the college to their family and friends. They 
will relay the message that people care about them as college students with futures and 
not just as those who perform well on the field. This improves admission possibilities in 
recruiting students as a whole from far-reaching regions and continues to improve the 
diverse climate on campus. 
 
Recruiting at-risk athletes lends itself to needing more resources to develop their 
academic potential. At a small Midwestern college, the majority of the at-risk students 
are coming from the coasts and larger regional/state cities. The students simultaneously 
experience culture shock, academic stress, and high athletic performance expectations. 
All of these stressors add up to the seemingly insurmountable task of success in all of 
these areas. But, with assistance, each of these components can be dealt with separately 
and broken down using problem-solving skills. This way, the way the whole student-
athlete benefits, not just the student or just the athlete. 
 
Through our observations of student-athletes we have noticed failure is cyclic. When 
athletes start to feel frustrated on the field, a similar attitude is reflected in the classroom 
and in relationships (i.e., coach/player). Or if they start feeling frustrated in class work 
they tend to give up on academics and try harder on the field to compensate. Athletics 
and academics need to work in tandem, not one in exchange for the other. 
 
In this presentation, we would like to discuss and brainstorm possibilities to stop the 
cycle of failure in the beginning. We have been using and propose enlarging daily 
academic tracking and athletic counseling that we hope will provide a systematic, 
holistic, institutional support system. 
 
PRESENTERS 
Lisa Hardaway is a graduate of Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., where she also is 
the Academic Athletic Program Mentor. She was a Graduate Assistant for Humanities-
English Composition/Literature. Her B.S.E. is in English and physical education with a 
minor in athletic training. 
 
Pat Lutt is an Adjunct Instructor of sociology and business at Wayne State College in 
Wayne, Neb. She is on the National Issues Forum National Faculty and holds a B.S. in 
business administration/finance. She also has an M.S.E. in counseling-higher education 
with a focus on admissions and recruitment and athletic counseling and advising. Lutt is 
working toward an M.S.E. in sociology and sports interdisciplinary studies and is taking 
doctoral courses in community and human resource development. 


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Diversity, Athletics, and Mentoring: Creating New Academic Avenues

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