The Importance of Coaches and Athletic Programs in College

The Importance of Coaches and Athletic Programs in College

When people think of college athletics, the first images that come to mind are athletes performing at a high level; whether that is winning at a high rate or making highlight reel plays ESPN would love to broadcast. It is easy to watch these sports live or on television without considering the impact sports has on a college. Coaches and their players represent the college and positive or negative press reflects back to the college. With all that colleges put into their athletic programs, these programs and the coaches have an impact on the welfare of a college whether it is positive or negative.

Originally sports were only considered as an extracurricular activity at colleges. However, the public’s outlook on sports started to change how colleges began treating students who participated in athletics. In her article “A Brief History of College Athletics” Penny Hastings explains that “College recruitment of student-athletes started in the 1880s as college football began its transition from an extracurricular activity to a highly commercialized sport” (Hastings, 2007). Colleges starting using football, because of its rising popularity, to attract students to their college who wanted to play at the college level. Unlike today’s scholarship money, students were initially paid with certain benefits given by the school such as “employment, free lodging (often at the home of a coach or supporter), meals, gifts and other special favors. Primarily funded by a school’s alumni and fraternities, incentives were offered to entice players to choose a particular school and to perform at the highest level possible” (Hastings, 2007). Colleges who provided these athletic chances to recruits had an advantage over the other colleges who did not. As college athletics became more popular, other colleges began starting athletic programs as well. In order to regulate the way in which colleges could recruit, “In 1952 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legalized the use of athletic scholarships for the purpose of attracting qualified student-athletes. Other athletic associations were established and they, along with the NCAA, began to regulate national college athletic standards” (Hastings 2007). From then on, the NCAA and other organizations have monitored the activity of colleges and athletic programs.

Ever since these new rules, coaches play a massive role in the athletic department of any college. As student athletes come into the college to begin classes and practice, coaches take place of their parents in a way. It is important for coaches to set the right tone for their players. Although a coach can be a positive influence on a player, how he or she manages his personal life can influence his or her abilities as a leader. For example, in her article “Coaches as Role Models,” Debra Blum explains that “the duty