Showing posts with label What We're Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What We're Reading. Show all posts

Monday, April 19, 2010

In Recruiting, It’s Buyer Beware—for the Athletes, That Is

By Libby Sander, Chronicle of Higher Education

As recruiting pitches go, this one was pure Southern charm: The famous college football coach, debonair in his Armani suit, settles into a posh Memphis living room and, just before launching into the soft sell, delivers a well-timed compliment.

"What a lovely home," says Nick Saban in The Blind Side, the book-turned-movie account of a family's foray into college football. "I just love those window treatments."

When it comes to wooing athletes, there's nothing like a strategic dose of flattery to butter up Mom and Dad. But even though college coaches may be reluctant to bring up serious matters like injuries and revoked scholarships during a recruiting pitch, lawmakers in at least two states, concerned about promises made and later broken, now want them to do just that. Those efforts are part of a broader attempt to provide college athletes with greater recourse when it comes to the financial and medical pitfalls they sometimes encounter.

Bills introduced in the California and Georgia legislatures would require coaches recruiting athletes in those states to disclose, among other things, institutional and NCAA policies on medical expenses, scholarship renewals, and transfers for athletes. Tom Torlakson, the state lawmaker who co-authored the California measure, which was introduced in February, says it would help athletes and their families better understand the implications of accepting an athletics scholarship—and would hold universities accountable for the promises their coaches make.

"It helps to have it in writing," says Mr. Torlakson, a Democrat. "It solidifies the university's commitment to the athlete."

The Georgia bill, introduced in March, is far more expansive than its California counterpart. But both would require coaches who recruit athletes in those two states—considered hotbeds of athletics talent—to disclose, for example:

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The cost of attendance, as well as the expenses not covered by a full athletics scholarship.
The institution’s policy on renewal or nonrenewal of an athletics scholarship, particularly in cases of injury or a coaching change.
Whether the athletics program will pay for medical expenses that exceed maximum insurance coverage limits.
The National College Players Association, an advocacy group of 14,000 current and former Division I athletes, sponsored the California measure. Ramogi Huma, the group's president, has been working for years to bring more openness to a freewheeling recruiting process that he says keeps prospective athletes and their families in the dark.

Athletes generate millions of dollars for their universities, he says, but they are often denied basic protections. In particular, he faults scholarship shortfalls, outstanding medical bills, and the false guarantee of four-year scholarships that he says some coaches give to athletes and their families during the recruiting stage. (NCAA rules permit only one-year, renewable scholarships.)

"There are some serious problems in how the schools and the NCAA treat their athletes, and it’s not public," says Mr. Huma, who played football at the University of California at Los Angeles. "Our message to parents and recruits is, 'Buyer beware. Be careful in the school you choose.'"

Reading the Fine Print
"Know the rules … before you sign!"

So reads the slogan for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's's National Letter of Intent program, which oversees the process by which athletes agree, during their senior year of high school, to a binding, one-year, renewable scholarship.

The NCAA and the National Letter of Intent program both publish pamphlets and other materials meant to educate prospective athletes and their families on the recruiting process. And the association's mammoth rule book is hardly lacking for recruiting rules designed to guide coaches: Hundreds of regulations governing telephone calls, meetings, and even the kinds of snacks recruits may have on their campus visits have created a vast bureaucracy.

But for all the rules, it's difficult to find anyone in college sports who thinks the recruiting process functions as it should. Over the next year, the NCAA's Division I recruiting cabinet, a group of high-level athletics administrators, will look for ways to streamline and improve the process. Scrutiny of the early recruitment of athletes and a simplification of the rules governing coaches' communication with athletes are among the many agenda items.

Pam DeCosta, head women's basketball coach at San Jose State University, says she is surprised by Mr. Huma’s dissatisfaction with coaches. In her nearly 20 years of coaching, most of it in Division I, she says, she has always taken a "just be honest" approach to discussing scholarships and medical expenses with athletes and their families, and so have most of her colleagues.

"That's just my philosophy," she says. "I'm just going to put it out there: 'You come, you come. You don't, you don't. I didn't lie to you.'"

Still, Mr. Huma says few athletes and their families truly know how to navigate the recruiting process, and even fewer understand the fine print that spells out the terms of a scholarship. But they sign on the dotted line anyway.

And after that, "you're pretty much stuck with whatever policies that school has," he says.

Mr. Huma, whose office is in Riverside, Calif., has been an advocate for current and former scholarship athletes for nearly a decade. In his quest to establish better safeguards for scholarship athletes, he has sought advice from a key labor union, the United Steelworkers, and has filed public-records requests with all Division I universities to acquire their medical policies for athletes.

In 2008, Mr. Huma was involved in a major legal settlement between the NCAA and four former football and basketball players who had sued the association over its caps on scholarship aid.

Under the settlement, the NCAA agreed to set aside $218-million to help more than 150,000 Division I athletes in all sports pay for basic expenses not covered by their scholarships.

The athletes' momentum continues: Ed O'Bannon, a former basketball standout at UCLA, filed a class-action lawsuit last year against the NCAA that claims the association should compensate former athletes for its use of their images and likenesses in video games and other profitable commercial ventures. Last month 11 more athletes, whose playing days date back to the 1960s, joined the lawsuit.

To be sure, says Mr. Huma, who earned a master's degree in public health from UCLA after graduating in 1999, anyone making an important decision like where to go to college has a responsibility to be informed. But doing the research can be difficult.

"All people have to go on is verbal promises from coaches that are easily broken," he says. "You can't make a responsible decision when all you have access to are coaches."

The NCAA has maintained that colleges—and coaches—have been forthcoming, and that the information Mr. Huma seeks is readily available. The association is in the beginning stages of analyzing the California and Georgia legislation, and has yet to take an official position on either bill.

"These things are already in writing, categorically, for student-athletes," says Chris Plonsky, director of women's athletics at the University of Texas at Austin. "It's amazing to me that people think they aren't."

The problem is that colleges may not provide the information in a way that athletes can understand, says Ellen Staurowsky, a professor of sport management at Ithaca College who has worked with the players' association. Provisions relating to the nuances of medical coverage, such as the conditions under which a scholarship may be withdrawn, are particular trouble spots, she says. And while some colleges offer clear statements about their policies, for others, the letters of intent may not be enough.

"I don't think you can do enough to make sure that they fully appreciate what kind of deal they are signing," Ms. Staurowsky says of the athletes. "Even if there is some information in that letter, frankly, it may not register with the student the way that it should."

Unexpected Expenses
One of the biggest challenges athletes face is the gap between the value of their scholarship and the total cost of attendance, Mr. Huma says. Tuition continues to increase every year at most universities, and athletics scholarships often fail to keep up. Not all athletes are aware of the shortfalls, he says, especially those who are promised "full" scholarships.

Last year the players' association found that athletes on full athletics scholarships shoulder anywhere from $200 to more than $6,000 in additional out-of-pocket expenses per year.

The average amount was $2,763 per year.

Another unexpected twist can come when athletes sustain serious injuries and rack up medical bills that exceed the limits of insurance policies.

While some athletes are covered by their parents' health-insurance policies, such plans often do not provide coverage for varsity-sports injuries or have restrictions on out-of-state treatment. Many athletics programs purchase secondary insurance policies to cover athletes where their parents' policies leave off. But it's not a fail-safe arrangement, and some athletes who sustain serious injuries grapple with medical bills for years afterward. The NCAA's catastrophic insurance, in the meantime, applies in only the most dire of cases—and even then, the deductible is $75,000.

It's just the kind of uncomfortable, but crucial, point that Mr. Huma says he would like to see coaches discuss more candidly. "Sports-related injuries should not be left on the student-athlete, period," he says. "But at the very least, schools need to be upfront with parents during the recruiting process."

It's unclear at this early stage whether new state laws would provide Mr. Huma with the candor he seeks. After all, the recruiting road is defined by both sides' eagerness to showcase only their very best qualities. As Coach Saban knows, it's awkward to talk about the hard realities of college sports during the courtship phase. Better to focus on the curtains.

Josh Keller contributed reporting to this article.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

What We're Reading on a Sunday Morning (11/9)

Mules Take Centennial Title
"The last thing Brandon Doyle, Phil Cresta, and Erik Snyder expected was
to spend their Senior Day at Muhlenberg standing on the sidelines. Yet
the trio, each a multi-year starter, did just that Saturday afternoon --
Doyle for the entire game against Ursinus with a dislocated thumb
suffered in practice, the other two after suffering first-quarter
injuries. Cresta's injury, to his right ankle on a punt return, gave
another senior, Edward DeRisi, a chance in the spotlight. And DeRisi
responded with a career game, catching six passes for 113 yards and a
touchdown in a 45-8 Mules romp that gives them their second straight
outright Centennial Conference title and an NCAA Division III playoff
berth."
- Allentown Morning Call

F&M Falls a Point Short
"The PAT is often times overlooked in a football game. But
recent struggles converting that extra-point opportunity came back to
haunt Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon. Not only did the Diplomats
miss one for the fifth game in a row, it was their fear of missing
another that forced them to try a pair of two-point conversions in the
fourth quarter, including one with 29 seconds left when they trailed by
a lone point."
- Lancaster Sunday News

Mistakes Catch Up to McDaniel in Loss
"The McDaniel defense had been stifling. The offense had
been threatening. And then everything changed once the third quarter
began. Turnovers, bad decisions and a defense that could no longer hold
on against the league's best offense turned a promising homecoming game
into a 38-9 Gettysburg rout on Saturday at Scott S. Bair Stadium."
- Carroll County Times

Eagles Lose Final Game for Exiting Coach
"Emotions ran high after Dickinson handed Juniata a 53-41
Centennial Conference setback at Knox Stadium, Saturday afternoon in the
Eagles' season finale. It wasn't because of the loss, but for two other
factors - it was senior day and it the last game for head coach Darrell
Alt, who announced his resignation after five years on Friday."
- Altoona Mirror

Rout Gives the Mules a League Crown
"John DeLuca rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns as Muhlenberg clinched the Centennial Conference championship with a 45-8 rout of Ursinus yesterday in Allentown."
- Philadelphia Inquirer

Back-to-Back Titles for Muhlenberg
"Marc Bigelli must be getting used to winning by now. The 2007 Phillipsburg High School graduate entered Muhlenberg College with three Skyland Conference Delaware East Division championships and an NJSIAA North 2 Group 3 title to his credit. The sophomore guard has continued to pile up victories at the college level."
- The Express-Times

Sunday, November 02, 2008

What We're Reading on Sunday Morning

F&M Shuts Down McDaniel
"John Troxell's life as head coach of the Franklin & Marshall football team is more than just X's and O's. He has to recruit, nurture his players and, oh, yeah, be a husband and father. Troxell's 5-year-old daughter dropped a bowl on her foot while trick-or-treating Friday night and had to be looked at by the team trainer after the Diplomats took on the Green Terror of McDaniel Saturday afternoon at Sponaugle-Williamson Field. The news was good for both his daughter and his Dips, who shut out McDaniel, 20-0, to improve to 4-4 on the season and 3-3 in the Centennial Conference."
- Lancaster Sunday News

Terror Torched by Big Plays
"It certainly wasn’t the first time a team looked across the field at the McDaniel defense unafraid. The Green Terror have been beaten by strong-armed quarterbacks, speedy wide receivers, quick tailbacks, athletes of all kinds. And before settling down to pitch a second-half shutout, McDaniel saw more of the same unfold Saturday. A young but talented freshman quarterback and a couple of athletic wideouts picked apart the Terror one big play at a time for a 20-0 Franklin & Marshall win at Sponaugle-Williamson Field in Lancaster, Pa."
-Carroll County Times

Diplomats Score in First Half, Blank McDaniel
"Midway through the first quarter, Franklin & Marshall wide receiver Jarrell Diggs received a pitch from quarterback John Harrison. With McDaniel's defense steaming toward him, Diggs threw a prayer to wide receiver George Eager, who ran untouched for a 65-yard touchdown as F&M (4-4, 3-3 Centennial Conference) shut out the Green Terror 20-0 at Lancaster."
-Hanover Evening Sun

Bruised and Battered 'Hounds Outlast Ursinus
"The game was barely four minutes old when Moravian College's starting tailback, the third-leading rusher in the Centennial Conference, was on the sideline, his right ankle wrapped in ice. By the time 101 seconds of the second quarter had ticked away, the Greyhounds quarterback was strapped to a backboard en route to a local hospital, sent there by a late sideline hit. Instead of unraveling, however, the Greyhounds held together for a 17-7 Centennial Conference victory over Ursinus at Rocco Calvo Field."
-Allentown Morning Call

Sunday, October 19, 2008

What We're Reading on a Sunday Morning

Seven Unlucky for Terror Against Mules, Carroll County Times
"There have been worse days for McDaniel football. Albeit few, but there have been worse days. The Green Terror knew what to expect with fifth-ranked Muhlenberg coming to Westminster on Saturday. They knew that the statistics indicated the Mules should cruise to an easy victory."

Moravian Rallies Past Franklin & Marshall, The Express-Times
"The Moravian College discovered early Saturday that this was a different Franklin & Marshall football team than the one the Greyhounds manhandled last season. It took virtually every ounce of energy the Greyhounds had this time to eke out a 23-20 Centennial Conference victory at Rocco Calvo Field. Quarterback Marc Braxmeier provided the winning margin with an 8-yard touchdown run with 10:31 left in the game. The Greyhounds (5-2, 3-2), who ended their two-game losing streak, prevailed by holding off two F&M threats down the stretch."

Bullets Score 17 in 4th to Down Eagles, Altoona Mirror
"For three quarters, it looked as if Juniata College was going to hang a loss on the Bullets of Gettysburg College Saturday at Knox Stadium. However, the Bullets scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-7 deficit en route to a 24-20 victory. "I think we played good on offense," Juniata coach Darrell Alt said. "I think when you play a great team like Gettysburg, you have to play four quarters, and unfortunately we did not do that."

Sunday, October 05, 2008

What We're Reading

Haverford Grad Runs MLB Network
"Major League Baseball does not believe there is enough baseball on television. Not on local and regional TV. Not on Fox, ESPN, TBS or MLB.com. It wants ubiquity, a 24/7 home, so it is building its own cable channel, the MLB Network, in Secaucus, N.J., with opening day scheduled for Jan. 1."
- New York Times

Gettysburg Topples Ursinus For First Victory
"Gettysburg College's football team was put on defense to start Saturday's Centennial Conference game against Ursinus. After allowing more than 40 points in each of the past three games, it should have been an uncomfortable position for the Bullets. Not on this day."
- Hanover Evening Sun

Eagles Handle Green Terror
"For the first time since joining the Centennial Conference, the Juniata College football team posted a win against a conference opponent with a tight 12-10 win over visiting McDaniel College Saturday at Knox Stadium. "We wanted to give them [McDaniel] some things they had not a chance to prepare for with the short alignment with our fullback and our guys they had to play aggressive and pound it out," Juniata head coach Darrell Alt said."
- Altoona Mirror

Loss Stings Terror
"One huddle stood silent while the other did not. One team sulked with heads dropped and shoulders drooped in disbelief. The other celebrated uncontrollably, hollered and jumped around in pure delight. One coach scowled struggling to find words while the other had an irremovable smile attached to his face."
- Carroll County Times

QB Situation Still Unsettled
"While freshman Vinny Corona hasn’t officially lost McDaniel’s starting quarterback job yet, he did enough Saturday to force coach Tim Keating to pull him after the first half."
- Carroll County Times

Red Devils Give Moravian Its First Loss
"Coming into Saturday's Centennial Conference game between Dickinson and Moravian, many would have predicted it to be a one-sided affair as the Greyhounds were flying high at 4-0 and Dickinson was reeling from a 20-13 upset loss last week to McDaniel. Those pundits might not be too familiar with the Red Devil football program, their coach, and this year's tough group of players."
- Carlisle Sentinel

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

What We're Reading

Moravian Focused on Task Ahead, Not Last Year
Allentown Morning Call
"The memories of last year's game against Dickinson still linger in Marc Braxmeier's mind. The Red Devils escaped that battle of unbeatens at Rocco Calvo Field with a 24-23 win by scoring 17 points off three Moravian turnovers, including two interceptions thrown by the Greyhounds quarterback -- one that led to a second-quarter touchdown and the other that led to the game-winning field goal with six seconds left."

Milestone Propels YCP Hockey Past McDaniel
York Daily Record
"April McFarland roared into the York College record book in style on Tuesday afternoon. McFarland netted three goals to become York's all-time leading field hockey goal scorer - with her record-setting marker serving as the game-winning goal - as the Spartans beat visiting McDaniel College, 4-3."

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

What We're Reading

Classes Are Presidents' Privilege
Philadelphia Inquirer
""I never want to leave it," Steve Emerson, president of Haverford College, said of the classroom. "The reason one comes to run a college or a university is because one believes in the mission of the place and the best way to do that is to stay in touch with it." Emerson, who has a medical degree and a doctorate in cell biology and immunology, teaches a class in stem-cell biology and opened one of the nation's first undergraduate stem-cell biology labs at Haverford last year. He holds class in his living room, which has a movie projector and a screen that rolls down from the ceiling. John Strassburger, president of Ursinus College, has made a conscious decision not to teach - out of deep respect for the profession. "When I did try teaching, I found myself too often in the awkward situation of telling a student who wanted to stay and talk after class that I really had to run to an appointment instead," Strassburger said."

Swarthmore President To Join Abu Dhabi Campus
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Alfred H. Bloom, the president of Swarthmore College, will become vice chancellor of New York University's new campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, college officials announced yesterday. Bloom, who announced in May that he was leaving Swarthmore after 17 years at the helm, will serve as a consultant on the project while he finishes out his term as Swarthmore's president and begin his new duties no later than August 2009."

Former Mustang Starts on Dickinson Offensive Line
Hanover Evening Sun
"Corwyn Gordon wasn't expecting to be part of one of the Centennial Conference's most potent football offenses. At least not right away. "Honestly, I felt like I was going to have to learn the system because I had no idea what was going on the first couple of weeks," he said. But there was Gordon on Saturday standing on the field at Scott S. Bair Stadium in Westminster, Md., after starting at left guard for Dickinson College."

Brothers With Prostate Cancer
WPVI-TV 6, Philadelphia
"Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S., second to skin cancer. The chances of surviving are good though, if you catch it early. That's why two local brothers are sharing their story. Ray and Terry McGowan, of Phoenixville, have very different jobs. Ray keeps supplies moving at Paoli hospital. Terry coaches the nationally-ranked Ursinus College women's softball team. But this June, they both heard the same thing after a routine doctor's visit."