The student-athlete experience

Dawn Rogers, director of athletics

Xavier University

Athletics Administration

Discussing how her participation as a student-athlete at Ithaca College prepared her for a career in athletics administration:

“I learned so much about myself through athletics, so I value the experience enormously. I credit athletics with developing most of the skills I use every day in my role as athletics director. ...

“The biggest change (in the student-athlete experience in the last decade) has been the time commitment today’s student-athlete must make at the Division I level. Student-athletes are in season virtually all year long. We also want them to participate in SAAC and community service, as well as help in the campus recruiting process.”

Prep schools

Peter Roby, director

Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society

Washington Post

“Preparatory schools in general are to get kids intensive tutoring and support in an environment that is conducive to doing well academically, and in some cases take advantage of the additional resources that they have athletically to improve themselves. I don’t think there is anything in the prep schools model that is an issue.”

Sports wagering

Ken Kirkwood, professor of sports ethics

University of Western Ontario

Calgary Herald

Discussing the notion that professional athletes are psychologically prone to gamble:

“They compete with an intensity that’s almost pathological. Even when you retire, you don’t shut off that competitive behavior. Gambling replicates aspects of the game. There is an element of risk, luck and a clear winner and loser. ...

“You may want to bet against a friend, somebody who also has a competitive nature. Winning gives you a reason to gloat.”

Women in coaching

Jamie Hagerman, assistant women's ice hockey coach

Harvard University

USA Today

Discussing the increase in female coaches in ice hockey:

“For a while, ice hockey was a male-dominated sport. It used to be women playing a men’s sport. Now it’s women playing hockey. A couple of years ago you couldn’t make ends meet coaching. Now, women can make a living.”

Baseball season

Paul Mainieri, head baseball coach

University of Notre Dame

Wichita Eagle

Discussing proposed changes to the playing and practice season in baseball that, among other things, establishes a uniform start date to the regular season:

“The possibilities are enormous for the sport as far as building up the promotion of an opening day, (but) the common start date in no way levels the playing field. It doesn’t even come close. But from a credibility standpoint, you can’t have half the country playing for four weeks before the rest of the country begins playing. ...

“If having a common start date allows more Northern schools to make it to Omaha in a roundabout way, to me, it’s a benefit to the sport. I just don’t think the healthiest thing for a sport is when it is emphasized in only a certain portion of the country.”

Rich Hill, head baseball coach

University of San Diego

Wichita Eagle

“Interstate rivalries and interstate series that are so fun are basically going to disappear because the big-power schools are going to have to stay home to get people through the turnstiles. They’re going to have maybe three or four weekends max on the nonconference side of things in order to do that.”