Academic Skill vs. Athletic Skill
From Becoming a Master Student Athlete, page 39. Copyright ©2006.
So often student athletes are stunned when a coach chooses to give a
scholarship to an athlete who seems to be a bit less skilled or a bit less
accomplished, but considerably better academically prepared. With new collegiate
athletic rules that are challenging many student athletes to maintain their
eligibility for competition, coaches are less willing to take on someone who is
an academic risk. As sports become more
competitive, the coaches are becoming more aware that someone who demonstrates
good academic skills is likely to be able to be a good student of their sport.
Those academic skills enable the student athlete to enhance their athletic
skills so they analyze sports techniques better, learn and employ new athletic
skills faster and perform with fewer mistakes in game conditions.
Look at these academic skills and consider how they apply to you as a
student athlete:
| ACADEMIC SKILL |
ATHLETIC SKILL |
|
Managing time to read and study | setting time to
practice (and rehabilitation, if necessary)
|
|
Avoiding distractions | focusing on what the
coach is telling you to do
|
|
Being persistent | repeating an athletic
activity over and over until it is right
|
|
Determination | pushing yourself to be
better in each competition and to win
|
|
Conflict management | adapting to deal with
coaches or players from backgrounds that you have never experienced before
|
|
Cooperative learning | working together to learn
plays or to scout the opposition
|
|
Critical thinking during lectures | intently
listening and analyzing what a coach is explaining
|
|
Uncovering assumptions | being prepared to
change your game plan to be able to win
|
|
Maintaining accurate records | monitoring and
reading your athletic records to determine how to be a better competitor
|
|
Writing and speaking with correct grammar | dealing
accurately and effectively with the media
|
|
Notetaking | being introspective so you
focus on how to be a better athlete
|
|
Test taking | being mentally and physically
prepared to compete
|
|
Editing | putting the playbook and other
instructions into your words to fit your learning style
|
When well-developed each of these academic skills gives you
an advantage in your athletic endeavors.
If you are able to exhibit the listed athletic skills, look at the
corresponding academic skill that you are able to perform in that setting.
