Should Pregnant College Athletes Lose Their Scholarships?
Should pregnant college athletes lose their scholarships? KCOH sports personality Ralph Cooper posed this very question to his listeners on his 7/21/2007 talk show. The Dad attempted to call in and share his opinion, but, my cell phone dropped the call before KCOH could pickup the line. Therefore, the Dad will sound off here.
First of all, I believe that the NCAA should not enact a rule at that level, I believe that the policy regarding this situation should be left to each institution. Whatever rule or policy that they enact should be clearly stated in the letter of intent signed by the student athlete. The athlete should know “exactly” what the school requires and what the penalty is for violation of the policy.
That being said, here is my take. When a student athlete signs a letter of intent to play athletics for an institution of higher learning, it is a two-way commitment. The school agrees to pay tuition, fees, cost of books, room and board, etc., the student agrees to maintain an acceptable GPA and commits to doing everything Iin her power to aid the success of the athletic program. This includes maintaining a high level of physical fitness and abstaining from conduct that will be detrimental to the team or the university (drug use, illegalities, public disorder, and unethical behavior, for example).
A school’s investment in the student athlete goes beyond academic costs and room and board. Many dollars are spent in the recruiting process. These expenses include travel, scouting services, background checks and other costs. This money is spent not only to find good student athletes, but to locate good citizens who will honor their commitment and bring honor to themselves and to the institution. Big time college athletics is a business and losing players and scholarships can affect the bottom line.
When an athlete ‘chooses’ to engage in behavior that is dangerous to themselves or that endangers their ability to contribute at a high level to their team, in essence, they are betraying the trust that the institution has placed in them. They are also endangering the future that they have worked so hard to be positioned for. Both parties are endangered in this case.
Athletes make these decisions, unfortunately, all to often. Sometimes, no one knows and they get away with it. But sometimes they get caught. When you get caught, there is a price to pay. Pregnancy is seriously “getting caught” and carries a serious penalty. A new person is now coming into the world and many decisions and adjustments are now inevitable.
What should the institution do? The player has violated (except for the case of rape) her commitment to her team and athletics program. There should be a “penalty” for this violation. Others should know that if they make the same choice and they “get caught” that there are consequences.
This is a difficult situation to deal with. Fairness, compassion, and the needs of the individual and the institution will be impacted by the schools policy.
Here is the policy that I would implement. I would allow the athlete to retain her scholarship for 1 additional semester following the current one. At that point, the scholarship would be revoked. After the birth of the child and a reasonable time for physical recovery, I would give her an opportunity to prove that she can still earn a spot on the team. If she is willing and puts in the work and earns her position, her scholarship would be renewed for the remainder of her athletic eligibility.
This solution can cost the school a scholarship position for up to two years depending on when the athlete has to withdraw from playing. The athletic program has to absorb this loss in addition to losses it normally has due to injury and other reasons.
The athlete loses a scholarship but can continue her education during her period of pregnancy (if health permits). The remainder of her education may be in jeopardy, but she has an option to earn an athletic scholarship again if her health permits and she chooses to make that sacrifice.
I believe this should apply whether he athlete is married or not. In either case, the athlete knows that pregnancy is not compatible with their commitment to the institution. Married athletes certainly face a higher risk as there are no 100% foolproof methods to prevent pregnancy. I assume many coaches shy away from married female athletes for this reason.
Is the student athlete left at the mercy of the athletic department at this point? Yes. If the coach does not want her back for some reason other than playing ability, she will not be offered that scholarship again. Unfortunately, this is a reality in college athletics today. The 1 year “renewable” scholarship gives schools some leverage when it comes to retaining athletes. In this case, the athlete placed herself in a dangerous situation scholarship wise. I have to believe that in most cases, if the student is otherwise a good citizen, a good student, a hard worker, and a good team player, she will get a legitimate shot at renewing the scholarship. Otherwise, she will tend to reap what has been sown.
There is a lesson to be learned here. If you have worked hard to obtain an opportunity that will benefit you for the rest of your life, you should work harder to keep what you have earned and not throw it away. There are many decisions that are made BEFORE the decision that leads to pregnancy. Other than rape, the sex act is a choice. The quality of our lives is generally a result of the choices that we make.
Wait! I can hear those who say that the student did not choose to get pregnant. That is technically correct. However, the student DOES choose to risk pregnancy by participating in the sex act. The person who plays Russian roulette does not choose to die, but he does choose to risk the possibility of death even though the odds are in his favor.
Our culture teaches us that premarital sex is normal and should be accepted when engaged by consenting adults. Very rarely are the negative personal, physical, and emotional consequences that can accompany this choice portrayed in the vast array of media and entertainment options available to our kids.
Parents, educate and prepare your children to the best of your ability BEFORE they leave home!
THE DAD
Here is what others are saying:
Reports prompt NCAA to review pregnant athletes policies – From ESPNU
First of all, I believe that the NCAA should not enact a rule at that level, I believe that the policy regarding this situation should be left to each institution. Whatever rule or policy that they enact should be clearly stated in the letter of intent signed by the student athlete. The athlete should know “exactly” what the school requires and what the penalty is for violation of the policy.That being said, here is my take. When a student athlete signs a letter of intent to play athletics for an institution of higher learning, it is a two-way commitment. The school agrees to pay tuition, fees, cost of books, room and board, etc., the student agrees to maintain an acceptable GPA and commits to doing everything Iin her power to aid the success of the athletic program. This includes maintaining a high level of physical fitness and abstaining from conduct that will be detrimental to the team or the university (drug use, illegalities, public disorder, and unethical behavior, for example).
A school’s investment in the student athlete goes beyond academic costs and room and board. Many dollars are spent in the recruiting process. These expenses include travel, scouting services, background checks and other costs. This money is spent not only to find good student athletes, but to locate good citizens who will honor their commitment and bring honor to themselves and to the institution. Big time college athletics is a business and losing players and scholarships can affect the bottom line.
When an athlete ‘chooses’ to engage in behavior that is dangerous to themselves or that endangers their ability to contribute at a high level to their team, in essence, they are betraying the trust that the institution has placed in them. They are also endangering the future that they have worked so hard to be positioned for. Both parties are endangered in this case.
Athletes make these decisions, unfortunately, all to often. Sometimes, no one knows and they get away with it. But sometimes they get caught. When you get caught, there is a price to pay. Pregnancy is seriously “getting caught” and carries a serious penalty. A new person is now coming into the world and many decisions and adjustments are now inevitable.
What should the institution do? The player has violated (except for the case of rape) her commitment to her team and athletics program. There should be a “penalty” for this violation. Others should know that if they make the same choice and they “get caught” that there are consequences.
This is a difficult situation to deal with. Fairness, compassion, and the needs of the individual and the institution will be impacted by the schools policy.
Here is the policy that I would implement. I would allow the athlete to retain her scholarship for 1 additional semester following the current one. At that point, the scholarship would be revoked. After the birth of the child and a reasonable time for physical recovery, I would give her an opportunity to prove that she can still earn a spot on the team. If she is willing and puts in the work and earns her position, her scholarship would be renewed for the remainder of her athletic eligibility.
This solution can cost the school a scholarship position for up to two years depending on when the athlete has to withdraw from playing. The athletic program has to absorb this loss in addition to losses it normally has due to injury and other reasons.
The athlete loses a scholarship but can continue her education during her period of pregnancy (if health permits). The remainder of her education may be in jeopardy, but she has an option to earn an athletic scholarship again if her health permits and she chooses to make that sacrifice.
I believe this should apply whether he athlete is married or not. In either case, the athlete knows that pregnancy is not compatible with their commitment to the institution. Married athletes certainly face a higher risk as there are no 100% foolproof methods to prevent pregnancy. I assume many coaches shy away from married female athletes for this reason.
Is the student athlete left at the mercy of the athletic department at this point? Yes. If the coach does not want her back for some reason other than playing ability, she will not be offered that scholarship again. Unfortunately, this is a reality in college athletics today. The 1 year “renewable” scholarship gives schools some leverage when it comes to retaining athletes. In this case, the athlete placed herself in a dangerous situation scholarship wise. I have to believe that in most cases, if the student is otherwise a good citizen, a good student, a hard worker, and a good team player, she will get a legitimate shot at renewing the scholarship. Otherwise, she will tend to reap what has been sown.
There is a lesson to be learned here. If you have worked hard to obtain an opportunity that will benefit you for the rest of your life, you should work harder to keep what you have earned and not throw it away. There are many decisions that are made BEFORE the decision that leads to pregnancy. Other than rape, the sex act is a choice. The quality of our lives is generally a result of the choices that we make.
Wait! I can hear those who say that the student did not choose to get pregnant. That is technically correct. However, the student DOES choose to risk pregnancy by participating in the sex act. The person who plays Russian roulette does not choose to die, but he does choose to risk the possibility of death even though the odds are in his favor.
Our culture teaches us that premarital sex is normal and should be accepted when engaged by consenting adults. Very rarely are the negative personal, physical, and emotional consequences that can accompany this choice portrayed in the vast array of media and entertainment options available to our kids.
Parents, educate and prepare your children to the best of your ability BEFORE they leave home!
THE DAD
Here is what others are saying:
Reports prompt NCAA to review pregnant athletes policies – From ESPNU
Should pregnant athletes lose their scholarships?
NCAA Dootle A-Zone
Pregnant athletes deal with loss of scholarships
NCAA Dootle A-Zone
Pregnant athletes deal with loss of scholarships
posted by Larry Shepard @ 9:14 PM
1 Comments:
At 3:07 AM,
Anonymous said…
I'd be behind this 100% in the abstract, except for the fact that scholarship loss leads to abortion for female athletes, and abortion for the girlfriends of male athletes who are similarly threatened with loss of scholarship if they impregnate. The result, particularly for the males, is either forcing an unwanted abortion, or denying paternity--so irresponsibility leads to murder, and to more irresponsibility. Redshirt them for a year and treat it like a temporary medical condition.
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