Publisher Description
As the revenues generated by big-time college sports continue to skyrocket, virtually all of the debate involves whether (and how much) student-athletes should be paid for play. Kenneth L. Shropshire and Collin D. Williams, Jr., argue that "student" has to come first in student-athlete: the focus should be on prioritizing a meaningful education.
In The Miseducation of the Student Athlete: How to Fix College Sports, Shropshire and Williams draw on new research to reveal that it has become increasingly difficult for college athletes to balance school and sports, much less a social life, leading to serious economic, professional, and emotional consequences for young people. Given that fewer than two percent of all college men's basketball and football players will play at the professional level, the other ninety-eight percent of student-athletes must be prepared to find and perform well in jobs outside of their respective field of play.
In this bold call to action, Shropshire and Williams explain how we got here and what can be done about it. They lay out The Student-Athlete Manifesto, a roadmap to increase the likelihood that student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field. They also offer a Meaningful Degree Model, which ensures education pays for everyone, along with stories of success that show it is possible to be both a student and an athlete.
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About the Authors
Kenneth L. Shropshire is the David W. Hauck Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, academic director for Wharton’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program for NFL Players, and a Wharton professor of negotiating and dispute resolution. He is also the former president of the Sports Lawyers Association and has been a consultant to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Football League, and Major League Baseball.
Collin D. Williams, Jr., is an educator, author, and researcher addressing race and other issues of diversity through the lens of sport. He serves as the Director of Leadership and Education Programs in the South region for RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.
About Danny Campbell
Danny Campbell is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actor who has appeared in CBS’ The Guardian, the films A Pool, a Fool, and a Duel and Greater Than Gravity, and in over twenty-five commercials. He is a company member of the Independent Shakespeare Company in Los Angeles and is an adjunct faculty member at Santa Monica College.