Collegiate Athlete Issues

Key topic

This module alerts collegiate athletes as to the essential financial, life, and career planning skills they need to have, to manage their athletic, academic, and professional futures. It covers the financial vulnerabilities athletes face, common challenges of student-athlete life, major career decisions, and strategies to build a strong financial and personal foundation. The course also addresses risk management, NCAA compliance, and the transition from college to post-athletic careers. The goal is to provide student-athletes with the necessary tools to make sound financial decisions, manage their time effectively, and design a life plan that extends beyond sports.

Learning objectives

• Financial Preparedness – Recognizing the importance of budgeting, saving, and planning for long-term wealth.
• Life & Career Planning – Understanding that a sports career is short-lived and having a backup plan is essential.
• Navigating Student-Athlete Challenges – Learning to balance academic, athletic, and personal responsibilities effectively.
• Avoiding Common Pitfalls – Managing risks, making wise financial decisions, and staying on track despite temptations.
• Building Your Future Career – Leveraging your personal skills and talents and preparing for post-college life, whether in or outside of sports.

Introduction

We have prepared this material for collegiate athletes, who may or may not turn professional in the future.  We, at the Sports Financial Literacy Academy, have made it our mission to help and protect young athletes from making fatal financial decisions during and after their sports career.  We have tried to make this material as simple and practical as possible so that it becomes a useful tool for student athletes.

The journey of a collegiate athlete is filled with both opportunity and risk. While student-athletes are often viewed as privileged individuals, they face unique challenges that require careful planning and decision-making. From balancing academics and athletics to managing financial responsibilities and career transitions, a lack of preparation can lead to major setbacks.

Many collegiate athletes dream of turning professional, but statistics show that only a small percentage will make it to the top levels of competition. Even those who do achieve professional status must deal with short career spans, financial pressures, and the challenge of transitioning into life after sports. Without proper guidance, athletes are at risk of poor financial decisions, career uncertainty, and long-term instability.

This module is designed to help student-athletes take control of their financial and career paths by teaching them how to plan, manage money, and navigate life beyond their collegiate years. By covering topics such as financial literacy, risk management, choosing an academic major, avoiding common pitfalls, and preparing for post-sports careers, this course empowers athletes to make informed decisions that will benefit them in both the short and long term.

Our mission is simple: equip student-athletes with the financial and life skills necessary for long-term success—on and off the field. The earlier collegiate athletes start planning their future, the greater their chances of building a stable, fulfilling, and financially secure life.

The skills athletes need to design and project-manage their life plan

To design your desired life plan you need to be aware of who you are, your special skills and of course your weaknesses.  In addition, you need to understand where you are in life right now and what, in broad terms, are your life goals.  These life goals should cover the different aspects of your life such as health, family, relationships, career and finances.

We all need a plan to go through life and right now it is a good time for you to come up with a rough draft of this life plan since you are at the beginning of your adult life.  Your plan needs to include and cater for your personal life, work or business life as well as your financial life, considering your values and what matters most to you.

Now it is the time to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in your life and what your mission is.  If you have not already discovered your passions and talents outside of sport, may be now it is a good time to look into that.  Given that you are a collegiate athlete, it means that you are passionate about sports; however, there must be other things that you are passionate about or at the very least, good at.  Do not exclude your other passions or talents from your life plan.  Embrace them and include them in your life plan, even as an option.  We all know that sports careers are difficult to build and that in your case, the percentage of student athletes that will eventually go professional is a mere 2%, therefore you need to have all your options open and available.

To build a successful career and life plan, you need certain skills and these skills are the ones they don’t usually teach you at school.  Financial and life skills do not usually form part of formal education and most people develop these skills through trial and error, by dealing with uncertainty, failures, and whatever life brings to them.

Our purpose here is to equip you with the skills that will enable you to build the life you aspire to have and deal well with whatever life brings.  You will develop a number of these life skills as part of your sports career:  discipline, consistency, grit, determination, resilience.  We will supplement these skills with simple financial concepts so that you acquire a well-rounded view of how finances work in every phase of your life and how you can create a financial plan that will serve your greater life plan.

Action Steps – Exercise 1 (10 minutes):

Ask the students the following questions and try to get at least 4 to 5 answers from different students to have a meaningful discussion with the whole class.

1. Have you been thinking about your greater life plan and what you want to accomplish in life?
2. Do you understand that your post college years may not include sports and that you may end up following another career? How do you feel about that and how can you get yourself ready for such a case?
3. Do you know what you are good at, outside of sport, and how you can use that in a future non-sport career?

Common challenges faced by athletes

The well-being of athletes is impacted by their situation on and off the field.  Injuries, mental and physical pressures are a natural by-product of competing at a high level.  Student athletes need to be aware of these common challenges so that they develop strategies to improve their resilience and avoid becoming overwhelmed.

The three types of psychological stressors experienced by athletes, as described by Fletcher, et al, are set below along with common examples.

1. Competitive stressors – These are stressors related directly to the sporting situations athletes find themselves in. Common examples include:

• Injury
• Returning from injury
• Pressure approaching game day
• In-game pressure
• The opposition
• Competition for places
• Issue with form and/or technique

2. Organizational stressors – These are environmental demands primarily associated with the organization the athlete is operating within. Common examples include:

• Training issues
• Interpersonal conflict with teammates and/or coaches
• Perceived lack of support from the organization
• Travel/accommodation issues

 

3. Personal stressors – These have to do with the environmental and personal demands placed on the athlete, directly associated with personal life events. Common examples include:

• Lifestyle issues or changes (sleep, alcohol & drug use)
• Financial pressures, particularly with NIL deals, taxes, and sponsorship management
• Traumatic life events
• Outside commitments like educational commitments for student athletes

Knowing that all athletes face the above stressors will better prepare student athletes as to what lies ahead; it will also encourage student athletes to seek and use mental training and sports psychology to become better athletes and overcome their mental and emotional challenges.

Action Steps – Exercise 2 (10 minutes):

1. Have you been experiencing any of the three different types of stressors we just talked about? If yes, how have you handled them?
2. Are you keen to seek help from professionals to deal with the different stressors? Why/why not?

The financial vulnerability of athletes

Despite the fact that professional athletes are among the highest-paid individuals worldwide they usually lack the necessary financial knowledge that will enable them to manage their wealth effectively.  As a result, a significant percentage of athletes find themselves in financial trouble during or soon after retirement. The root cause is not just a personal lack of knowledge but rather limited access to financial literacy programs early in their careers. The solution is educating athletes financially so that they can cope with all the bad externalities that will always be around. We believe that financial literacy is the solution because many athletes fall victim to risky investments, predatory advisors, and contract mismanagement. With the emergence of NIL contracts, cryptocurrency investments, and the growing financial complexity of modern sports, financial literacy is more critical than ever.

The Statistics

• In the NBA: 5 years past their retirement, 60% of former NBA players have gone bankrupt or are under financial distress
• In the NFL: A 2015 study published in the American Economic Review found that approximately 15.7% of NFL players filed for bankruptcy within 12 years following retirement
• In the English Premier League: Three out of five Premier League players – who earn an average of £30,000 pounds per week – declare bankruptcy within five years of retirement.
• In the Australian A-League: 12% of retired players are dissatisfied with their current financial situation; 18.8% report that football had a negative financial impact on them; and 1 out of 3 report that they had made decisions that negatively affected their financial position.
• A large percentage, about 78%, of professional athletes go broke after just three years of retirement, Craig Brown, an NKSFB Sports Business Division partner, told FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” in 2022.

Common factors contributing to the financial failure of athletes

There is widespread belief that athletes after retirement are financially set for life, living in mansions, with unlimited money to spend. At the same time, stories of athletes going bankrupt, during or after their playing career, very often appear in the media. In short, the prevailing perception of fans is that the majority of professional athletes are set for life after retirement. In reality, athletes are some of the most financially vulnerable persons of our times and there are several factors which contribute to the financial vulnerability and failure of athletes.

Athletes usually earn substantial amounts of income within the limit of a short time span, depending on the particular sport, but usually, an athlete’s career can last between 3 to 10 years on average, with some exceptions like golf or tennis where careers may last longer.  According to a Statista 2023 report, the average salary for NBA players is around $8.5 million per year, while NFL players make about $2.8 million per year whereas the average household salary is significantly lower. The end of the athlete’s field play usually marks the end of the substantial earnings, both from field play and from other sources, such as NIL commercialization, endorsements, and so forth.  Most of the time, the athletes’ salaries are not fully guaranteed and poor performance, injury, on and off the field behavior, can adversely affect their earning capacity.

Athletes usually earn their money at a very young age.  Recent statistics show that professional athletes often retire before the age of 30. On average, MLB players retire around 29.5 years old, NHL players at 28.2, NBA players at 28, and NFL players at 27.6. In comparison, individuals in the general workforce typically achieve their highest earnings later in life, usually between the ages of 45 and 54.  Usually young athletes may have to work away from their homes and their countries, as most of them are offered lucrative contracts in distant places; being away from home and the shelter of their family, puts additional pressure on young athletes.

Athletes adopt a costly lifestyle. The high income and celebrity recognition that they enjoy at such an early age leads professional athletes being drawn to a lifestyle of the rich and famous, living for the moment, and revelling in their fame and fortune. Most of them live paycheck to paycheck and blow their money on depreciating assets instead of putting it away.

Sudden wealth, or “sudden money,” cannot be handled appropriately, especially by young athletes, who are completely inexperienced in handling finances. The receipt of sudden wealth is an intense and emotional event, and it precipitates new financial challenges and decisions. Athletes must deal with their emotions and confront their fears that may arise from their newfound wealth.  This sudden wealth phenomenon of earning big suddenly, may cause athletes to lose interest in the small things that make life enjoyable and give intangible benefits; they may change their attitude and spending becomes a way of utilizing their free time.  We have plenty of examples of athletes who have mishandled their newfound wealth and they include Mike Tyson, Allan Iverson, Sheryl Swoops, Michael Vick and many, many, many, more.

Gambling is another common problem of professional athletes, who seek the thrill of big risk and big return, without fearing its catastrophic consequences.
Comparison to General Population: According to research, the prevalence of gambling disorders among the general population varies between 0.15% and 6.6%. This suggests that some athlete groups may experience gambling issues at a higher rate than the general public.

Athletes also tend to go through emotional disturbances, feeling lonely, or feeling exploited, or loved only for their money. The numbers show that athletes are prone to depression, usually when their sport careers near their end and they are not sure what their future will hold, especially those athletes that did not prepare, did not save money, did not get an education and did not create alternative revenue sources to sustain them after retirement. The result of these emotional stressors is manifested in substance abuse, alcohol abuse, and violent behavior that may cause criminal and financial penalties; before they realize it, many athletes have hit rock bottom.

Athletes have a lot of external pressures from family, friends, coaches, and others who have helped them succeed.  It is common for family and friends to seek financial rewards and returns from the athlete as recognition of their contribution to the athlete’s fame; such a situation is difficult for the athlete to handle properly or deny, given the high degree of loyalty and attachment.

Bad Investments/Misplaced Trust. Advisor improprieties and misappropriations of funds have contributed to the financial problems of professional athletes especially if athletes don’t have the proper knowledge to identify such events early and avoid them.

Divorce and child support payments. Divorce has proven to have a disastrous effect on the financial well-being of a lot of professional athletes, as many of them do not have prenuptial agreements in place before getting married. In addition, a number of athletes have children from multiple wives and they are obliged to pay several monthly alimony and child support payments, which are quite substantial.

Lack of financial education. Career athletes often do not have the same level of financial literacy as people who took more conventional career and education paths. The unique financial challenges that come from life as a professional athlete, combined with the lack of financial education, usually lead to poor financial decisions which, unfortunately, have an adverse lifelong impact.

The above clearly show that the financial failure of athletes is indeed a problem and preventive action is needed.  Many of the factors that make athletes financially vulnerable cannot be altered. Athletes will always be vulnerable, but their knowledge-base and decision- making abilities can greatly improve. The solution lies into educating athletes, so that they acquire knowledge about money, personal finances and financial options, thus giving them the tools to make wise decisions concerning money.  Financially educated athletes are able to react in a more prudent manner to situations arising from financial pressures or which involve financial decision making.  Financial literacy is a learned life skill which can help athletes, not only make sound financial decisions, but will give them great confidence over their financial lives.

Action Steps – Exercise 3 (9 minutes):

We will now watch video on why athletes go broke and we will have a discussion on the reasons athletes fail financially after we watch the video.

Why Professional Athletes Go Broke

Challenges faced by student athletes and how to tackle them

It’s no secret that in today’s competitive landscape, collegiate athletes struggle to keep themselves in a steady path – a path that will eventually lead them to the dream-come-true of a student-athlete: the dream of going pro. Undoubtedly, some may say that student-athletes are privileged to be in their position in the first place, but this does not make their journey any easier or their route any less complicated. In fact, they are usually faced with a wholly different set of problems.

As a student athlete, you’re required to find balance in your life at a much younger age compared to regular college students, and you’re expected to mature and not be overwhelmed by what’s coming your way. This section addresses some of the most prevalent challenges that student-athletes regularly face, and we try to give you some tips on how to ease those challenges and smoothen your otherwise unsteady years of being a collegiate athlete.

1st Challenge: Creating a balance between your athletic and academic responsibilities

Being a student-athlete makes it hard for you to set your priorities; after all, are you a student or are you an athlete? The answer is simple, you’re both and you should never forget that. Keep reminding yourself that you’re not in college just to be an athlete but also to graduate with a diploma and to get an education that is not only valuable in itself but which also provides you with the means to come up with back-up plans.

Many student-athletes fall into the trap of forgetting the ‘student’ part and neglect their studying, with the result of performing poorly and not fulfilling the minimum requirements. Of course, it is easier said than done when both your coach and your professors expect the best from you.  We acknowledge that it is difficult to please them all!

However, you can pre-allocate your time between your two priorities and reach an understanding with your academic counsellor and your coach, in that you cannot deviate from your time allocation. Simply put, at the beginning of each week, dedicate at least a certain number of hours towards your classes: enough hours that will help you progress towards obtaining your degree without having to fall back on your training. Talk about your time allocation to both your coach and your professors and not only they will not object to it, but instead they will try to assist you in making the most accurate allocation possible, based on their expectations from you and their knowledge of you. It might be useful to create a preliminary schedule, test it and then adjust it. Alternatively, you might first want to take a few weeks to experience the situation and then come up with a plan.

2nd Challenge: Striking a balance between social activities and your student-athlete responsibilities

Everybody agrees that our college years are our best years, with a lot of fun activities; your excessive responsibilities from being a student-athlete should not mean that you have to constantly suffer and abandon any form of personal or social life. Of course, you’re expected to make some sacrifices when it comes to social activities, given that performing both as a student and as an athlete are your top priorities. It will also probably be necessary to have a more restricted social life compared to the rest of your peers, but, by no means should you abandon your social life as this could have adverse effects on your emotional stability.

It’s important that you hang out with friends and do normal college stuff occasionally, to prevent yourself from turning into a robot that only performs without receiving any pleasure. Make sure that between studying and practicing, you devote at least a few hours every week to hang out with your friends, go out and have fun or even sit in and enjoy time with the people that you like being around. This will not only keep you emotionally stable, but will also give you energy to perform even better when it comes to your priorities: practicing and studying.

3rd Challenge: Keeping yourself emotionally stable while having to compete both on and off the field

Student-athletes need to understand that it’s fine for them to feel lost and a bit unstable when dealing with multiple fronts: studying, practicing and having a social life. It might well be the case that you have major deadlines coming up, while practices and games do not get any easier. Nonetheless, student-athletes are susceptible to emotional instability, due to stress coming from multiple directions. If this stress is not addressed directly it can lead to a series of negative effects.

In order to achieve emotional stability, you need to find the right mentality that can address process, and mitigate stress. Put simply, when feeling the pressure breathing down your neck, you need to realize that it’s that pressure that will make you go the extra mile when it comes to achieving your life goals – after all, no athlete has every progressed from the comfort of their couch; every big athlete has felt the same pressure and has made it, so why not you?

Use the mental pressure to motivate yourself and always understand that you’re not the only person that has been through that, many others have gone through the same and have gotten out stronger, better and highly successful.

While this module does not cover every challenge, it provides a strong foundation to help navigate the student-athlete journey. Overall, the key to being a successful student-athlete is finding the right balance for everything. ‘Playing’ on multiple fronts is hard, but when you find balance, you can manage anything that comes your way and you learn to distinguish what’s important and what’s not. Finally, no student athlete has ever accomplished anything without setting their priorities and realizing what their position is. As the famous NFL running back Earl Campbell said “I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they are not just athletes, but student athletes. You need to get an education, keep your hands clean and try to represent the university.”

Action Steps – Exercise 4 (15 minutes):

Ask students the following questions and take 4 to 5 answers which you will then discuss with the whole class.

Based on your experience as a student athlete, list the challenges that you have faced or believe that you will face in the future during your time at college as a student-athlete.

Student athlete decisions: Choosing your academic major

Selecting the right major is perhaps the most important academic decision a student will make when going to college. Selecting a major that is both relevant and interesting can increase a student’s likelihood of academic success and prepare them for a fulfilling career. Usually, when deciding on their academic major, students are influenced by several factors, some of which are past experiences, social and family influences, passions, interests and career potential.

When it comes to student athletes, there are additional factors to consider when choosing their academic major.  First, most student athletes see college as a stepping stone towards a professional career in sports and they tend to overlook the value of the academic aspect of their college experience. This is a cardinal mistake. You should not abandon your dream of becoming a professional athlete, nor should you sideline it, however, probabilities do not care about dreams, unfortunately. Approximately 2% of student-athletes go on to become professionals. You should strive to adopt a long-term perspective no matter how hard it is and always keep in the back of your mind that failure is a possibility. You should therefore devote attention to your education as well, which can ultimately become your safety cushion and your path to an alternative journey.

Second, you have the burden of balancing two different lives, which are equally demanding; that of the student and that of the athlete. Student athletes may not be able to pursue a given college academic major leading to their career of choice because of the demands of their sport. That might be the case with a degree in Mechanical engineering to give you an example, a degree which even full-time students struggle to attain and a considerable number fail for the simple reason that it is very demanding and requires your full and unequivocal devotion and attention. Now, that by itself should not discourage you if that is where your passions lie, but at the same time, it is something you should definitely consider.

There is always a discussion whether the choice of academic major is driven by long-term career aspirations or by academic compromises. It is normal for student athletes to choose majors that are not demanding in order to accommodate their athletic obligations. Student athletes have a lot of pressure due to their sport anyway and might opt for something “lighter”. Usually, this pressure stems from expectations on behalf of their colleges and their family and it is difficult to direct themselves towards choosing a major that will provide them with top-notch career opportunities outside of sports.

A survey conducted by the athlete development platform Game Plan in 2018, showed that 41.9% of former student athletes reported that they would study a different major if they could go through college again. Athletes should always have in mind that there is a great possibility of not making it to professional sports. Hence, they must choose a major which will also provide them with the basis for pursuing an alternative career if they do not make it in sports.

When it comes to deciding which academic major to choose, it is important for student athletes to get professional advice. One important way advisors help student athletes maximize academic success is by guiding them to select a major that’s compatible with their personality and interests. They use personality tests, strength and interest assessments, career tests etc. to identify future career paths and academic majors which align with the student athletes’ interests.

College is the point of life when students obtain the tools and essential skills that will assist them throughout their professional career; few realize how lucky they are to even be in college while they are there. Whether they make it to professional sports or not, student athletes should choose a major that aligns with their interests and provides them with future opportunities; they should not just choose a major which is convenient and easily accessible.

Dealing with risks and temptations and staying on track

Nothing can really prepare you for the commitment required to be a collegiate student-athlete. Fans and the media, usually refer to them as “privileged”. If anything, student-athletes can be referred to as “walking time bombs”. Experience suggests that risks and temptations surrounding the dual role of a student-athlete are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Whether it is NCAA regulations, academic obligations, social and media obsessiveness, physiological and mental risks, behavioral issues, the list goes on and the risks are ever-growing.

Up until June 30th, 2021 NCAA regulations forbade student-athletes from receiving any sort of compensation and/or gifts for the duration of their collegiate career. While hundreds of millions of dollars were being generated and exchanged for the “product”, arising from their mere presence on campus, student-athletes were left with lunch money and the ever-valuable free education.  A Supreme Court ruling lifted these restrictions, allowing student-athletes to earn income through sponsorships, endorsements, and personal appearances.  The most important aspect of this ruling is the aftermath and what has followed this decision.  The NCAA has altered its amateurism criteria and it has suspended restrictions on payments to athletes for things such as sponsorship deals, online endorsements and personal appearances.  Furthermore, NCAA student athletes are now allowed to enter into agreements with agents.

Regardless of the ongoing NCAA reform though, student-athletes should remain focused and determined on achieving their two major goals: a) receiving a university degree, b) sporting success that translates into a professional playing contract. This simple view of your time in college should guide your overall strategy.

Additionally, student-athletes are prone to facing ethical dilemmas associated with participating in fixed-outcome games, they are vulnerable to gambling and to making easy and fast money, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds or with questionable chances to a professional sporting career.  With social media playing a significant role in modern sports, student-athletes must also be cautious about their online presence. A single post or video can impact scholarship opportunities, NIL deals, and even future careers. Understanding how to manage a personal brand online is now an essential skill. Also, sports teams often have extremely high group identity and cohesion and it’s not uncommon for the student athletes to mimic behaviors or stay silent in what they view as an act of loyalty towards the team.  You need to be aware of these dilemmas and these types of behavior and you should always make sure to respect the rules and play fair.

Let’s not forget the fact that athletes are some of the most popular people on campus. Everyone wants to hang out with them, invite them to parties and so on. In the context of college, it is easy to get carried away and start partying excessively, engage in drinking and substance abuse which can ultimately take a toll on both your academic and athletic performance. It is obviously ok to party every now and then, let some steam off and be a normal college student once in a while, however, be careful because if you lose sight of why you are in college and what it is you are after, you might jeopardize everything you worked for thus far and everything you dreamed for your future.

Choosing a career path, consequently an academic one, at the age of 18 is definitely not favorable, especially for these young people. Education should not be viewed as a necessary evil in achieving a professional sporting career. It’s a tool, a useful weapon; hence meeting academic goals should be an equally top priority for student-athletes. Skipping class, violating the school’s honor code, or using sports as the only passport should not be a choice; not even if the school itself is willing to turn the blind eye. As student-athletes, you have to strive for excellence, on and off the playing field; utilizing good time-management skills, accepting tutoring help from others, but above all understanding the importance of making a good effort in class, year-round.

Imagine the stress associated with these combined performance demands. On a daily basis, on two totally different stages, you are asked to be at your best. Night in and night out, you should score points and good grades. Then you also have to deal with comments about your performance online on social media or even when walking around campus. Negative comments can really get under your skin, particularly when you are not familiar with how venomous and cruel people can be. You should shut out such comments, especially when they have nothing to offer but negativity. There are people whose opinion should matter to you such as your coaches and teammates, maybe even friends and family, but try to ignore others, something that professional athletes are accustomed to doing.

In other words, student-athletes should take appropriate measures to counter these effects. They should learn to protect themselves, interact with people of their inner circle and accept that criticism is a never-ending cycle. They should be brave enough to seek and accept professional psychological support that can actually boost their performance, on top of helping them deal with stressors and disruptions. At the same time, they should not be afraid to assemble a team of trusted advisors. Family, friends, ex-coaches, community peers can help guide decisions, behaviors, choices and most importantly in preparing the transition to the next phase, whatever that may be.

Furthermore, student-athletes should not forget the ancient Greek saying “a healthy mind in a healthy body”.  According to a recent study from the American College of Sports Medicine Statement on Mental Health Challenges for Athletes, found that about 35% of elite athletes have mental health concerns,” with burnout, depression, and anxiety being the top issues reported. The athletes also reported more limitations in daily activities and more major and chronic injuries. It is evident that nutrition, rehabilitation and rest are vital in avoiding risks associated with injuries, fatigue, overuse, even mental stress.

Pause now for a second and think of a student-athlete, based on what we described above; where is the time for a romantic relationship? The time for a night out with friends? Not to mention vacation, missing out on family holidays, road trips etc. How does the social and media frantic attention alter these experiences? Whatever the case may be, it’s definitely not an excuse for any student-athlete to exhibit behavior that would otherwise not be tolerated on the field of play. Staying away from recreational drugs, alcohol, violent behaviors and outbursts, practicing safe sex, respecting the opposite sex, are all issues that don’t have to be in the play book in order to be followed.

Do you now truly understand our opening remark for “walking time bombs”? This statement is not meant to alarm but to highlight the need for awareness and support for these talented individuals, who dedicate themselves to delivering remarkable and unforgettable moments in sports.

Abiding by NCAA rules and regulations

Certainly, most of you are familiar with the NCAA’s regulations or at least have a vague idea about what they are. You can follow the link below to access a summarized version of NCAA regulations:

Summary of NCAA Regulations 2024-2025

It is important to have at the very least a basic understanding of NCAA regulations. The above regulations are divided into two parts:

1. For all student-athletes
2. For new student-athletes

If you are acquainted with the mentality of the NCAA, you will know that a great number of the regulations follow common sense. For example, match-fixing, the use of illegal/banned substance and so on. We won’t list all NCAA regulations as that would take a while but our suggestion is to go over the above summary which contains a list of the 2024-2025 regulations so that you stay on track and avoid disciplinary actions.

The international student athlete: Dealing with adjustment and other challenges

Athletes often face unexpected relocations, sometimes requiring them to move to a different city, country, or even continent on short notice. For student-athletes, this transition can be especially challenging as they navigate new cultures, academic systems, and athletic expectations simultaneously.

Almost every professional athlete competing in one of the major sports will need to move at least once during their career. For individual sports the story is a bit different, as travelling becomes second-nature to athletes competing in these types of sports.  Joining a new team can bring a lot of pressure on athletes and on top of that they have to move their entire lives, their family and belongings, in a matter of days. Student-athletes may experience that early on when they have to move to a country other than the US in their pursuit to combine academics and sports.

The same situation may also be applicable for foreign student athletes who may come into the United States to combine academics and sports.  While the exact percentage of international student-athletes in Division I is not specified in the latest data, previous reports indicated that international athletes comprised approximately 12% of Division I participants. When it comes to fusing higher education with sports, the US is second to none. There is no other educational system which essentially offers the opportunity to compete on an almost professional level, playing alongside with the future of professional sports, while at the same time working towards your undergraduate degree. Nonetheless, that means that a person no older than 17-19 years old, leaves their home country, leaving friends, family and relationships behind them in order to move to a wholly different place where they will not only have to adjust to a different culture, social practices, weather and so on, but also adapt to the challenging environment and rigorous schedule of being a student-athlete.

In order to make the transition as smooth as possible you need to stay organized and make a list of everything you will need to get done before your trip by creating a timeline. This will help ensure you have everything completed by the date it needs to be done.

You can start preparing by researching the country you will be moving to, in order to establish which documents are required for you to enter it.  You have to make sure that you have a valid passport and check if the host country requires you to apply for a visa, immunizations and international health insurance. After you gather all the documents required for travel, make electronic and hard copies and keep them somewhere safe. In addition to your passport, some other basic documents include your driver’s license, a birth certificate, and immunization records. You might need them when you least expect it, and it will make your life much less stressful if you can easily access them.

It would be a good strategy if you could also research the broader area of the university in order to familiarize yourself with the amenities, facilities and points of interest, such as diners, grocery stores, cafes, bars, drug stores and other things that are either essential or integral parts of your everyday life. That would make that first walk you are going to have on campus and the surrounding area much more effective.

It is always wise to plan for your accommodation ahead of your journey. With the assistance of the university, you should be able to find a dorm room on campus. Some people do not find student accommodation desirable. Student accommodation however, is both convenient and practical. You get certain things off your shoulder, it’s easier to meet people since everyone is there for the same reasons, everything you need is in close vicinity, there are people whose job is to assist students, especially newcomers.

If you are a foreign student athlete now studying in the United States, you have already gone through the preparation phase, only those you who are planning to spend a semester/year abroad will need to revisit the above points.  In addition to being well prepared there are certain challenges and issues that a lot, if not most, international students are experiencing and we have a few recommendations on how to approach them.

The main challenge is of course the language barrier, when a foreign student’s native language is different than the language in their country of study.  In the beginning this may cause a lot of unpleasantness for the student athlete and it can be frustrating to have difficulty in communicating with classmates, teammates, coaches and professors.  However, with a little effort this can be overcome after the first semester or so and foreign students start getting accustomed in communicating well in the foreign language during their daily interactions.

Living independently means managing daily responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping, all while balancing athletic and academic commitments. Time management becomes crucial to maintaining a structured and efficient routine. Ultimately, every individual will deal with this differently. Sometimes you can do your chores simultaneously, like going grocery shopping, while waiting for your laundry, or do the dishes immediately after finishing your meal. Nevertheless, these are things that you have to integrate in your schedule. The most important thing is to realize that these chores are vital to your survival and you have to treat them likewise. They are as important as your studies and training responsibilities.

You might feel homesick, which is ok and normal. You took a huge leap leaving everything and everyone behind and you are way out of your comfort zone. There are a lot things that you can do to feed that feeling constructively. You should keep in touch with family and friends through video calls, although, not to the extent that it will impede you from taking full advantage of your time in college and an actual social life. There are also some small things that might sound ridiculous, but will certainly help such as finding a restaurant with your home country’s cuisine, where you might also get a chance to speak in your own language, if you cannot find other native speakers on campus. In other words, try and keep in touch with things you used to do before moving, that will make the transition smoother and will also inject a dose of your original home to your new one.

Being in a new place can be extremely overwhelming especially if you add the stress and pressure pertinent to the lifestyle of student-athletes. Turn that to your favor. It’s ok from time to time to let go and behave like a tourist. After all, you are in a new city that you get the chance to explore and broaden your knowledge and experiences. See it as a way of rejuvenating yourself and taking a break from routine and your athletic and academic commitments.

It’s an opportunity for you to try new things. This might sound like a cliché, but there must be something in this new city/country that you could not have seen or done back in your home country. This can be anything ranging from water skiing, scuba diving, hiking, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, canoe riding, to visiting local markets, the theatre, etc.

Connecting with international student-athlete organizations or multicultural student groups on campus can make the transition easier. These organizations provide a sense of community, networking opportunities, and valuable support systems tailored to athletes navigating both academic and athletic life in a new country.

All in all, there are various issues that international student-athletes have to deal with on top of balancing studying with training. These issues can seem overwhelming from time to time, especially until you get used to the inevitable adjustments that come with moving to a new country and taking on so many new responsibilities; you should keep in mind however, that all these will help you mature.

Action Steps – Exercise 5 (15 – 20 minutes):

Ask if there are any foreign student athletes in the class.  If yes, ask them to describe their experience when they first moved to the U.S. to go to college.  Also, ask the foreign student athletes to describe the hardest thing they had to deal with.  Continue with a discussion of their answers.  If there are no foreign student athletes in the class, ask the class to think how they would feel and what they would have done to prepare if they were going to a different country for a semester or for the remainder of their studies.  Continue with a discussion of their answers.

The end of college life: What then?

One of the greatest challenges student athletes face, is transitioning from college life to either competing professionally or becoming professionals in a field outside of sports—or at least outside of the pitch. According to the NCAA’s latest data, approximately 530,000 student-athletes compete annually, with only a select few advancing to professional or Olympic levels. For instance, in men’s basketball, about 1.1% of NCAA participants are drafted into professional leagues, while in football, the figure is around 1.5%. These statistics underscore the importance of career planning beyond sports for student-athletes.

So, as you can understand, it is advisable to contemplate a life and a career off the pitch in order to have a plan B available, should you not manage to turn pro. Whatever the case, there are certain psychological and financial aspects that a college athlete will have to deal with.

Many of the athletes transitioning into professional sports will thrive but some of them falter, as they are not adequately prepared for the mental and psychological twists and turns that come with their new lifestyle. Also, the psychological implications of dealing with large amounts of money and the new lifestyle can destroy any athlete’s career if not handled correctly. Creating a support system that involves a financial advisor and a sports psychologist that the athlete can trust, is a great first step for young sports professionals to protect themselves and be successful.

While some college athletes will turn professional, the majority of athletes, as we can figure out from the statistical facts, will unfortunately be unable to continue their sport careers.  College athletes have spent years of their childhood perfecting their athletic skills to get the opportunity of competing at a high collegiate level. Their life revolves to a great extent around their sport and they have throughout their lives striven to balance their academic and athletic endeavors.

Sport psychologists believe that the adjustment period from such a rejection is similar to the emotional transition from losing a loved one or experiencing a tragic event and the person has to go through similar stages of reaching acceptance. Even if a person is happy to move on and start the next phase of their life, the transition can result to serious depression or other mental health issues. We believe that the best way to mitigate the effects on your mental wellbeing is to first accept that based on the data, your chances of becoming pro are slim and once you’ve done that, start entertaining the thought that you too like hundreds of thousands of other college athletes might need to come up with back-up plans. Many universities and sports organizations provide post-collegiate transition support, including career counseling, mentorship, and mental health resources. Seeking these services early can make the transition smoother and help athletes navigate the emotional and psychological adjustments that come with leaving competitive sports.

If the athlete cannot get support through their college, one way to cope with the transition is to invest in a new passion to help them realize that life goes on. This might be something that you’ve always wanted to do but just couldn’t find the time due to your athletic commitments. It can also prove to you that even in the most horrible situations and experiences there is always an upside.

Setting aside the psychological aspect of ending their sports career early, college athletes will also need to address the career opportunities open to them. The good news is that the majority of NCAA athletes are more likely to earn a college degree. Recent data indicates that NCAA student-athletes are graduating at record-high rates. The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for Division I athletes has reached 91%, the highest since its inception. In Division II, the Academic Success Rate (ASR) remains strong at 76%. While specific graduation rates for Division III are not detailed in the available sources, the overall trend across all divisions shows that student-athletes are successfully balancing their academic and athletic commitments.

There are endless opportunities out there for you, but for the sake of keeping things succinct and tidy, let’s divide things in three clusters;

1. The business world, broadly defined: This category is about “conventional” careers such as bankers, lawyers, journalists, accountants, economists, management consultants and so on. A college degree opens doors to various industries, but specific fields like finance, consulting, and law may require additional certifications or specialized knowledge. Employers value problem-solving skills and adaptability, but gaining relevant experience through internships or certifications can significantly improve job prospects. Of course, your major will factor in heavily as to the range of opportunities available to you.
2. Self-employed/ entrepreneur: This is a topic that we will emphasize in the final lesson of this course but we will take a brief look at it right now to give you a broad idea of what to expect.  Assuming that during your time in college and maybe even before, you managed to create a network or some sort of a fanbase and following in social media platforms, you can use that to your advantage because it means that you have a readily-available tool that you can utilize in order to promote what it is you want to promote. It might be a product or it might even be yourself (for example as a personal trainer). There are many advantages to being self-employed/ an entrepreneur and we will delve deep into them during another module but for now let us just say that what you need is a good idea or a skill/service that people are willing to pay for. Your fanbase/network is not your only asset from your athletic experiences and achievements. You (must) have also developed certain attributes that cultivated your leadership skills, self-discipline, determination, perseverance, which are all vital to someone who chooses the self-employed/ entrepreneurship path.
3. The world of sports: Just because you were unable to become a professional athlete, it does not necessarily imply that you have to abandon the world of sports altogether. We are aware that it’s not what you wanted, but it is the closest to a substitute you will find. Athletes are only a small fraction of the people who make a living from sports and there are numerous opportunities for you. Sport journalists, corporate staff, commentators, advisers for younger athletes, sport lawyers, agents, PR consultants, college coaches. If you love the world of sports and can’t bear being on the outside, then these options are for you. Alternatively, you can always start a career outside of sports and then use the skills that you will have developed and return to the sports industry at a later stage. Beyond traditional career paths, new opportunities have emerged in fields like sports analytics, esports, digital content creation, and sports tech startups. Former athletes can leverage their understanding of sports and competition to thrive in these modern industries, opening doors beyond conventional roles in business or coaching.

The end of college is not a joke. It is tough enough on most people who do not even have to cope with the possibility of having their long-life dream of becoming pro athletes defeated. It is therefore paramount that you do not delay the process of thinking about your (immediate) future while developing preferably multiple contingencies about what you can do once college is over and how to go about doing it.

Action Steps – Exercise 6 (10 Minutes):

Ask student athletes the following question and take 4 to 5 answers.  Continue with a discussion of these answers.

Question:  Can you think of what your life without sports could be like?  Based on the three options we discussed above, where do you see yourself to be if you don’t end up following a sports career?

Lesson wrap-up

Throughout this module, we have explored the unique challenges student-athletes face, from balancing academics and athletics to managing financial responsibilities and career transitions. While the student-athlete journey offers incredible opportunities, it also comes with significant risks—especially in financial management, career uncertainty, and maintaining mental and emotional well-being.

We’ve seen how financial literacy is essential for long-term success, as many professional athletes experience financial distress due to poor decision-making, lack of planning, or external pressures. Understanding budgeting, saving, and investment strategies can help prevent financial struggles both during and after an athletic career.

Beyond finances, we’ve also emphasized the importance of life planning. With only a small percentage of college athletes making it to professional sports, having a well-thought-out Plan B is critical. Whether pursuing a career in business, entrepreneurship, or within the sports industry, student-athletes must leverage their education and transferable skills to secure their future beyond the game.

Additionally, we discussed the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly NIL opportunities, the impact of social media and personal branding, and how student-athletes can use these tools to build a successful career—inside or outside of sports.

Most importantly, we’ve reinforced that mental resilience, time management, and decision-making skills are just as vital as physical performance. From navigating cultural adjustments for international athletes to handling academic and social pressures, student-athletes must develop the ability to adapt, plan, and seek support when needed.

At this point, the instructor should review the learning outcomes stated at the beginning of the lesson and invite questions from student-athletes. An open discussion should be encouraged to help students reflect on the concepts covered and how they relate to their individual goals, challenges, and future plans.