“I Have Grown”: A Case Study of Student-Athlete Career Development at Clemson University

Abstract


 Student-athletes are burdened with demands, expectations, and stressors that pose challenges to their personal development, rendering many student-athletes ill-prepared for career choices outside the sports milieu. Internships are vital to the skill development for all students. Clemson’s University Professional Internship and Co-op Program (UPIC) offers on-campus internship opportunities for qualifying students. Informed by student involvement theory (Astin, 1984), the purpose of this case study was to examine Clemson student-athlete’s perceptions of participating in the UPIC program. Although the student-athletes experienced challenges during their internships, the data revealed that the internship was instrumental in the professional development of the participants, specifically in the areas of communication, collaboration, and work ethic. Overall, 88.89% of student-athletes felt their internship was very relevant to their career goals. This case study provides an example of cross-campus collaborative programming that assisted in the career development of student-athletes and should be implemented at other colleges and universities.

Not a Student, Not an Athlete, a Person

“…The majority of the participants viewed themselves as more than just basketball players or athletes. This reinforces previous literature that has argued that athletes should be allowed to develop their whole selves and not just their athletic identity (Coffin et al, 2021;Navarro et al, 2020). This development is not only helpful for their collegiate experience but for the transition to life after sport as well (Smith & Hardin, 2018;Stokowski et al, 2019).…”

Improving collegiate student-athletes’ well-being: exploring the roles of openness to experience, knowledge sharing and perceived coaching effectiveness

“…Collegiate student-athletes are confronted with the dual requirements as students and athletes, which, combined with concerns for injury and fatigue, collectively form the stressors that harm their well-being ( Lopes Dos Santos et al, 2020 ). Previous studies have recognized the importance of collegiate student-athletes’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulations to cope with stressors ( Dubuc-Charbonneau and Durand-Bush, 2015 ; Leprince et al, 2018 ; Coffin et al, 2021 ), yet neglected the source and impact of knowledge required to address those stressors, nor was the roles of personality trait (i.e., openness to experience) and perceived coaching effectiveness in stress coping evaluated in this context. As a result, this study draws on social learning theory to explain how collegiate student-athletes’ individual factors and perceived external supports from peers and coaches collectively help them meet various needs, thereby improving well-being.…”

“…Collegiate student-athletes may also need to acquire knowledge from professionals during internships and peers on campus. Such knowledge may include communication skills and collaboration habits, as well as experiences in addressing challenges, practical strategies to enhance athletic performances ( Coffin et al, 2021 ; Piepiora et al, 2022 ). However, these precedents for collegiate student-athletes to solve problems in academic study and athletic career involve the active and voluntary sharing of knowledge with peers ( Buchs et al, 2016 ; Yeşil and Hatunoğlu, 2019 ).…”

"From Sweats to Suits": Administrators' Recommendations For Student-Athlete Career Development Services.

“…Student-athletes may lack a basic understanding of career development principles like creating a resumé, drafting a cover letter, building a professional network, volunteering/job shadowing experience and more (Navarro & McCormick, 2017). However, a case study of student-athletes at Clemson University showed that some of the HIPs, like pursuing internships while in school, were instrumental in developing key workplace skills (Coffin et al, 2021). Despite these areas of improvement, more research is needed.…”