Challenges athletic program brings to one small college’s overall goals, the recruiting process, imbalances of race and socioeconomic status, social impact, etc.
https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/PlaceOfAthleticsAtAmherst_Secure.pdf
I found that very interesting. Thanks for posting it.
Thanks for posting. The role of athletics in colleges today has become more challenging than ever. The temptation to raise the brand of a particular university through success on the athletic fields is growing - just witness the abundance of “signing days” we all saw yesterday on social media - and colleges are seeking ways to continue to separate themselves from peer schools. That temptation is no less intense at the D3 level, and thus Amherst’s self reflection seems appropriate and relevant for any level.
Good for Amherst! The social issues created by having close to half the student body on teams (the norm at all smaller LACS ) is inevitable yet how it’s addressed can really help. Sounds like they are working on it.
I’m glad you all found it as interesting as I did. I hadn’t known about the different recruitment levels and the interplay with admissions “ratings” of 1-2 and lower, for instance. Or how NESCAC differs from other D3 colleges in its rules around academics and athletics.
The social stuff I was somewhat aware of because it comes up on these boards a lot in relation to this school in particular. I am also glad the college is addressing that but my feeling is not universal, I got this report as a result of a thread started by an unhappy athlete parent alum. I think some athletes and alumni are worried in particular about the housing changes that may be coming.
I also think it’s great that the school started this before this fall’s cross country incident.
I found this very interesting, too, especially from the perspective of a former D3 athlete. My own alma mater, and its league, the UAA, takes what sounds like a very similar approach as Amherst does to athletics. And still, my alma mater had an incident with the men’s soccer team that was similar to what Amherst had with the men’s cross country team. The small schools are not immune to these sorts of problems. I wish universities at every level examined the role that sports should play in academia, just as Amherst has done here.
Thank you for posting this OHMomof2! It was really interesting!
Loved reading this! S16 is a first-year athlete at a small LAC. I imagine much is similar between his school & Amherst’ report. I know the “same major” factor is there, but I think it’s partially due to the enthusiasm teammates have for their major. In S’s case, senior members of the team are mentors for a particular intro class. My S was more interested in the class, and wanted to do better in it, because of the influence of his teammate. He consequently was more engaged & got a great grade, so now wants more of the same. Good things, in my book!
I recall when my son and I first visited Williams College after he was admitted. Both from conversation with a professor and his impressions from the tour guide and other interactions, he concluded that the campus was too jockey for his taste. Perhaps he could have done something to improve the journalism. But the situation didn’t feel good to him. Too isolated and too small. Then again, a few years later when he visited a friend who attended Amherst, he came away saying “I could have liked attending here.” I think this conclusion was partly due to the fact that because of UMass-Amherst, the city Amherst was a much larger and more diverse city than Williamstown.
@Ohiomomof2 , the most interesting comment was the grumble that coaches get to pick close to half the student body. (My cliff note version.)
I was floored by how few walk-ons there were and wondered if they were truly less talented in every case or if, having recruited a player, coaches felt obligated to give him playing time so walk ons had no chance.
The bigger rosters may in part be due to the dis appearance of JV teams. Decades ago, NESCAC had these, and it wasn’t unusual for kids to work their way onto varsity over the years. It also meant that there were enough players for real scrimmages during practice. But then again, women’s field hockey and lax had almost the same roster because nobody did anything year round.
DS has gotten great academic mentoring from teammates which I seen as positive, but I can see how that could veer toward peer pressure.