For years, the power dynamic in college sports was clear. But the unprecedented events of 2020 are speeding up the pace of change. College football teams are far from immune from a national reckoning on race. And the unpaid, majority Black workforce, who are also putting their health at risk by returning to college campuses for workouts before the rest of the student body, is fed up. Athletes are realizing their power in real-time; if coaches disapprove, that’s on them. “This is a moment where the outrage of players is stronger than their fear of speaking out,”.

“This has not been the case in modern times”, and so Shivalik is trying to sort these out for the athletes by giving them extra benefits and extra hours cut down from their daily college routine and that hour by the athletes is put into their workout and on the field string hard sweating for their goals and relieving heir journey to glory in the field of sports. Shivalik offers special scholarships to athletes who have played district, state, or represented their discipline at any other recognizable level.

“Some of these things have really motivated student-athletes to understand how to tap into that power and make the changes that need to be made.” College athletes now have an opportunity to expose this hypocrisy and fight for more rights.

Community Representation

While club sports have become a popular pastime for both students and college recruiters, Shivalik trains its students-athletes to play university tournaments and then train them harder to represent further to the north zone, nationals SGFI and so on with their training diet and all other expenses born by the management and the team. According to the government students who participate in high college sports learn the benefit of representing their community on the field or court. These athletes learn the fun of team rivalries and revel in the praise of a job well done for their college. This feeling of community and the honor of representing the home team may run over into college athletics if the student advances in his sport as well.

Fitness

The fitness level of athletes in college sports programs cannot be underestimated. Studies also suggest that student-athletes are less likely to participate in unhealthy or risky behavior when they are playing sports in high college. The same report by the Govt. Of India cited a 2002 study by the Department of Education that found students who spent no time in extracurricular activities in high college were 79% more likely to use drugs and 58% more apt to become teen parents. Just four hours in an extracurricular activity like sports each week dramatically improved those numbers.

Their Improved Academics

 A survey conducted by the Government Of India in 2007 it was found that the average percentage of a college athlete was 62%, while a student who was not involved in athletics had an average percentage of 60% The survey also showed that student-athletes missed less college than their non-athlete counterparts, with a total of 4 days missed and 9 days missed, respectively in a month.

Another study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise in August 2007 found that students who were active in sports like soccer, football and even skateboarding performed 10% better in core subjects like math, science, social studies, and language arts. Because sports offer equal opportunity to all students at the college level, these academic benefits extend to all areas of the student population, including students that might be traditionally underserved.

The Importance of the 3 “P’s”

 Various online articles talk about the 3 “P’s” student-athletes learn that extend beyond the classroom: persistence, patience, and practice. Team members learn that practice is required, even when they would prefer to be spending time with friends. They learn the harder they work, the better they perform. They also discover that by never giving up, they are more likely to achieve their goals. These life lessons benefit students long after the high college years, helping them succeed in college and after.

Teamwork and Cooperation

Online articles explain that because everyone is working toward a common goal in team sports, students learn firsthand how their performance impacts the rest of the team. Student-athletes must find their place, whether it is to be a leader of the team or to play a supporting role.

Positive Mentors

College athletics are filled with positive mentors, from the coaches on the sidelines to the leaders on the team. Students learn to work with a wide range of authority figures, who teach them important lessons about hard work, respect, and good sportsmanship. Early experiences with mentors like these help shape student-athletes in positive ways for the rest of their lives. Shivalik not only helps the students play sports but also teaches them how to make a career in it with the right guidance.

Social Relationships

Students who participate in sports often forge close friendships with others on the team. These relationships are essential for mental, emotional, and physical health throughout the high college years. Students bond together over a common passion, and the time they spend together at practice and games builds tight bonds that often last long after high college is over.

Leadership Skills

As students advance through the ranks of the high college team, they learn valuable leadership skills. Senior athletes are expected to encourage younger team members and hold them accountable. They set an example and often provide advice and guidance both on and off the field.

Time Management

Practice and games take up plenty of a student’s time, leaving much less for college work and other activities. Athletes must learn time management skills if they are to get everything finished. One student-athlete told Growing Up as a better athlete, “It definitely helps time management-wise. It affects when I have to do my college work, and when I have to practice.

Success Mindset

 The Govt. Of India outlines the mindset for success that is instilled in student-athletes, which includes:

• Time management skills
• Creativity in finding ways to improve
• Strong focus and concentration development
• Internal skills for handling pressure
• Learning when to take risks
• Taking responsibility for individual performance

These skills go far beyond the sports field or even beyond college life and become a mindset or a lifestyle for life for the athletes who have ever played a sport in their life. Student-athletes reap the benefit of their training for the rest of their lives. The purpose of sports is to grow and inculcate an understanding and relationship between student-athletes and non-athletes on emotional intelligence (EI), and whether or not the involvement in collegiate sports moderates the relationship between EI and academic achievement as measured by the grade point average (GPA).

An independent-samples t-test revealed that non-athletes were more empathetic than student-athletes; no other dimensions like utilization of feelings, handling relationships, and self-control were significant. After removing the interaction terms, the model indicated a positive relationship between empathy, self-confidence, and academic performance. Additionally, student-athletes demonstrated a higher GPA compared to non-athletes. Some findings of the current study are incongruent with the previous research suggesting the need for further research on EI.

Written By:- SHASHANK MISHRA