The Troubles of Athletics in Elite Schools
It is no surprise that athletics are closely tied with elite schooling. The role they play and the influences they hold over these institutions is hard to ignore. Because athletics are so intertwined within elite schools, sports can act as a gateway from one elite institution to another. Another factor that athletics brings into the setting of an elite school is the competitiveness between students. In many ways, athletics create an unspoken hierarchy within an elite school, which gives those students advantages that non-athletes cannot as easily obtain. Along with this, student athletes need to learn how to balance their large academic expectations and also their athletic ones. This can be seen here at Colby.
One prominent relationship between athletics and schooling I find interesting is the concept of sports being a gateway for students to move from one elite institution to another. This concept is oftentimes why sports at elite institutions perpetuate elitism because athletics are often deeply intertwined with money, class and connections. These advantages are only accessible to those attending an elite institution. Although this concept is not indicative of all students, meaning those who are on financial aid or scholarships, it’s interesting to notice how normalized it is and prevalent in education institutions. For me, up until this class and through our reading, research and discussions, I had very little knowledge of how closely tied this concept is to elite status. I attended a small high school whose primary focus was education, however a large selling point for the school was their athletic teams and facilities.
Colby, a predominately white and affluent institution, being an athlete rewards you with certain advantages that other students cannot obtain as easily. One of the most prominent examples of this is found by looking at the social aspects of being an athlete. From a student’s first day at Colby, for example, there is a noticeable divide between student athletes and students unaffiliated with sports. If you are part of a sports team (soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, etc.), you enter college with the comfort of having an established support system whereas regular students have to seek that out. With that being said, this is not being displayed to suggest rigidity–not every athlete has the same experience–but rather to show the larger effects athletics have on the social structures within institutions such as Colby.
The pressures that come with athletics is another important topic when discussing schooling. Although there are differences depending on what division you’re in, D1-D3, there is still a major time commitment needed in order to participate. This can severely impact a student’s ability to do well in school, especially at an academically rigorous institution, causing further effects like stress, anxiety and other detriments to one’s mental health. Being on a sports team has been compared to a full-time job because of the amount of hours necessary. How is a student-athlete expected to thrive in an environment that exists to be intensely competitive both academically and athletically?
