Writing Centers in Athletics

Introduction 

The literature review in the field of writing centers in Athletics will be necessary to determine their genesis, positive milestones and the challenges they have faced along the way. The process will be essential to highlight the roles of the various players involved in the institutions with the aim of advising them on how best to strengthen the centers (Reinardy & Wanta, 2015). The annotated bibliography contained many sources regarding the organization of duties in the writing centers. Therefore, the literature review will pave the way for the understanding reasons for having writing centers in athletics and the various players involved in its running and which of the functions will need strengthening to achieve better results. 

Background of the Writing Centers in Athletics 

Writing Centers were not in existence until early 1980 when they were started to bridge the gap between the low academic performance and better sporting capabilities among the student-athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) saw the need to solve the rise in scandals and low graduation rates among the student-athletes. Researchers state that academic support centers were initially formed to meet the unique needs of student-athletes (Huml, Hancock, & Bergman, 2014). During the early 20th century, student-athletes had very inadequate academic resources. Shortly after 1980, the NCCA took its first steps by subsidizing educational services offered to athletics students by providing stipends and penalties to institutions that did not focus on their student-athletes 

According to research done by Rubin and Moses (2017), student-athletes have a “dual role” as a result; they are likely to experience different school life than the other learners. The writing programs were started to provide the required environment for the existence of student-athletes to thrive in all spheres of life. The students have diverse academic subcultures that influence their academic performances. That said, the programs were formed to unite these students with a common goal of efficiency and balanced lifestyles (Rubin & Moses, 2017). 

Rifenburg (2016) advocates for awareness on the uniqueness of student-athletes in the educational sector. In this regard, he proposes “a clearer understanding of cognitive processes” related to sporting activities and their relation with writing. The major stakeholders of the writing programs are student-athletes, the professional guardians, and the government under the ministry of sports and extra curriculum activities. Students are the major focus in these programs as the student-athletes are viewed as a function within a “complex discursive community” (Rifenburg, 2016). These key stakeholders are involved in the day to day decision making processes as their wellbeing is the primary objective of the writing programs. According to Lamb (2014), it is essential that the student-athletes find a balance in their academic and athletic performances. Every decision made should, therefore, work towards the goal of an excellent academic-sporting student. 

According to Rifenburg (2016), there are strict NCAA regulations that mandate academic compliance. These regulations guide on the conduct of the parties involved in the writing program. Both the student-athletes and the teachers have to adhere to a specific code of conduct. The NCAA addresses the issue of unethical behavior within the centers. The unethical conducts include academic frauds, deliberate involvement in the planning of fraudulent activities and false transcripts being sold. This situation is an upgrade from the 2000 guideline that never included the rules and probations. The various facilities are expected to report to the NCAA periodically. 

Benefits of Writing Centers 

Benefits to Athletes 

According to the amended NCCA guidelines of 2013, writing centers are required for academic counseling and tutoring services generally available and accessible to all student athletics. The NCCA board finances the costs incurred with the offering of these services. According to Huml, Hancock, and Bergman (2014), the centers were created to fill the gap between academic resources and student-athletes. As a result of these facilities, athletes can find a balance between their sporting lifestyles and academic excellence. The student-athletes are given a chance to excel academically and professionally as athletes despite their financial constraints. The NCCA regulates the services offered to athletes to ensure they provide quality services as expected. 

Rubin and Moses (2017) note that the writing centers help student-athletes focus on their studies. It is general knowledge that student-athletes have been associated with poor grades in schooling. This grading affects their chances of joining campus and achieving more in their athletic abilities. These centers offer avenues for student-athletes to catch up with their fellow students whose schedules do not involve sporting activities; this does not only lead to improved academic performance but also vital decision life skills such as listening, taking instructions and socializing with fellow students outside the field setting. Athletes receive the extra support required to be successful in college (Rubin & Moses, 2017). 

Rubin and Moses’ article published on the Sociology of Sports Journal suggests that Writing centers are social interaction platforms for the athletes (Rubin & Moses, 2017). Diverse students from different cultures characterize these facilities; through their interactions, they can achieve the required social skills that prepare them for life outside the sports. Social interactions enhance a team environment where the athletes can get emotional, psychological, financial and physical support required achieving more in life (Williams et al., 2010). Students can manage the stress associated with their intense schedules of juggling between the two conflicting roles of being a successful student and a successful athlete. 

Benefits to Parents 

The writing centers offer parents a relaxed attitude knowing that their children are exploring as many opportunities in their lives as possible. Lamb (2014) defines performance as an activity that requires both mental and physical effort in collaboration with metacognitive practice. Parents to the athletes are often faced with a burden of ensuring their children’s performance in athletes and academics are both at par. More often than not, authoritative parents support academic achievement compared to sporting. The writing centers offer counseling support to students on their interactions on a day to day basis that enables them to live at peace with their parents. These centers strengthen the bond between athletics and their parents by offering interactive platforms and communication skill pieces of training for both parties. 

The Benefit to the School 

Mickiewicz and Thompson in their recent book explain the relationships between the tutors and the students in the learning centers (Mickiewicz & Thompson, 2018). These centers offer various support programs to athletics while helping them gain the required interpersonal skills. As a result, the writing centers receive incentives from the government through the NCCA; these imply that they have the chance of receiving world-class facilities to accommodate these athlete students. The research by Mickiewicz & Johnson discusses the theory based coding scheme, an analyzing tool employed by the schools for tutorial strategies (Mickiewicz & Thompson 2018). The writing centers have access to better training and conferences by the government to enhance their quality of service. 

Benefits to the Nation as a Whole 

In 2014, a survey report was released after collecting data from 211 different institutions across the United States (Toms, 2016). According to this report, there were high expectations on the emergence of growth and new trends in the sports sector as a result of the increase in writing centers for athletes. The respondents to this survey showed interest in the increased budget restrictions. The high growth rate of these centers means the country is likely to produce competent athletes that will enhance the reputation and generate income for the country. Many of the respondents “saw growth regarding the number of students served” over the next five years (Toms, 2016). This statement implies there is increased economic growth in the country. 

Milestones Achieved so Far 

According to Toms (2016), the suitable conditions in the writing centers have led to an increase in enrolment of student-athletes. Recent studies indicate that American adolescents are more prone to misbehavior and aggressive behavior in school environments concerning relating to their peers. These misbehaviors mixed with juggling between being an athlete and a student have led to a strain on their lives in school. Therefore, the introduction of writing centers for athletics has led to a stabilized youth who can manage their capabilities with a sense of responsibility. These academic centers have enabled student-athletes to focus on their studies and get successful places in college. 

According to Rubin & Moses (2017), “past academic professionals lacked proper working conditions.” Their meetings and major schedules happened in abandoned meeting rooms, rented spaces within campus on and. Major decisions were made in haste in those limited areas. However, with the introduction of writing centers, significant progress has been achieved regarding the construction of stand-alone academic centers. These educational centers have been made to meet the needs of student-athletes individually. Over the last few years, student-athlete centers have increased leading to better living conditions for the student-athletes and the populations due to job creation. 

Another achievement of the writing program is the improved performance of athletes in the sporting arena. A recent report by sporting journalists; the ministry of sports has registered a growth in the number of winnings relative to the formation of the writing programs (Reinardy & Wanta, 2015). The journalists have covered more winnings in the various games as compared to the previous years. 

Challenges facing Writing Centers 

Most of the student-athletes succeed more in sports that they do at academic work. Babcock, Manning, Rogers, Goff, & McCain, (2012) note that this scenario makes it difficult for them to feel comfortable discussing their academic performance with someone else, especially the student tutors. The situation to them appears like displaying their weaknesses for other people to see. Therefore, the tutors have a massive task of enabling the student-athletes to relax during the writing sessions and enjoy the step-by-step guide that they will be given to make their performance improve in the writing field as well as other academic areas. 

Comeaux (2015) argues that awkward tutoring sessions always have a long-term impact on student-athletes. Often, the learners will have to take a break off their busy schedule to be at the writing centers. Therefore, there is a natural scenario where they will be comparing what they do in the field with the situation in the writing centers. Consequently, if there are any unpleasant moments during the writing sessions, the student-athletes will treat the meeting with abhorrence. Some of them may feel that their lives were meant to thrive in other places but not the writing centers. Therefore, tutors have to strive to make the student-athletes enjoy the writing sessions just as they do with eth sports. 

In cases where the writing tutors are students, they will have a strain with balancing the running of the activities at the writing centers and their academics. Williams, Colles, and Allen (2010) point out that the nature of the schedules of student-athletes requires that their tutors are on toes regarding planning for the meeting sessions. The process is not easy as it entails putting into consideration the different schedules of the various student-athletes that require the writing center services. The tutors will need to be flexible, resourceful and creative to make everything a success. There is a high likelihood that their quest for running active sessions at the writing centers may have a toll on their academic performance. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association forms harsh rules and regulation that govern the athletics writing centers. Most of the requirement and so restrictive and carry huge penalties thus making college administrators less creative and innovation for fear of the sanctions. Toms (2016) notes that violation of the NCAA rules, most of which are against the preferential treatment of student-athletes, carry debilitating consequences. For instance, many faculty staff have ruined their careers while the student-athletes have been banned from participating in future sporting events. The fear of losing the eligibility to run the writing centers has resulted in redundancy and inactivity in most of the writing centers. 

Adopting more flexible schedules when dealing with the student-athletes may sometime dilute the sense of professionalism that should exist between the learners and the tutors in the writing centers. More often than not, the tutor may organize informal meetings in various settings to be in line with the student-athletes rigorous programs. In the process, the learning process will likely take a different turn every time the two individuals meet. Comeaux (2015) observes that there is a considerable likelihood that the kind of situation surrounding the learning process may compromise professionalism from one point to the other especially when the tutor and the student are of the same age bracket and different genders. 

There is a likelihood of the student-athletes being given preferential treatment due to their tight schedules. According to Mickiewicz and Thompson, (2018), this situation may lead to relaxation on their part which is not a good recipe for sterling academic performance. Wells (2016) also bring to the fore the fact that the student-athletes have the celebrity status in their institutions. Having other students as tutors may cause problems as they would wish to treat the student-athletes with leniency thus, may fail to raise the issue that may be coming in the way of the athlete’s performance for fear of not gaining their favor. Therefore, the selection process for the tutors should be strict on identifying individuals with integrity and focused on the objective advancement of knowledge. 

Recommendations or Fixing the Challenges 

The tutors must treat each student-athlete as an individual to avoid the situation where they feel intimidated during the writing sessions. Huml, Hancock, and Bergman, (2014 state that type-casting and judging learners during such session based on their previous performance will limit new learning. However, focusing on understanding the current situation of the student-athlete and finding out what motivates the leaners will go a long way to foster learning. The tutors will need to adopt flexibility to tap into the potential of every learner. The process calls for specialized training of the tutors to enable them to understand the unique needs of the learners. The training and development process ought to be a continuous process to cover the constantly changing environments of the writing centers. 

The session should also be more comfortable for the athlete-students. The process requires that there is a little divide between the learners and the teachers. One way of achieving this situation is by having the tutors interact with the student-athletes more often in their sporting settings. This move will make the learning session in the writing centers more fun as the student-athletes will have a sense of academics even when they are in their sporting competitions. Williams, Colles, and Allen (2010) report that athletes would be more willing to reveal their academic challenges to tutors who have information regarding their experiences away from the classroom and the writing centers. 

The infusion of guiding and counseling session for the tutors and the student-athletes is essential. Counseling is necessary to ensure that the pressure that comes with the tight schedules for both parties do not have an inhibiting effect on the emotional and physicals state of the two parties (Comeaux, 2015). The student-athletes will also greatly benefit from the counseling due to the challenges they face in balancing the academic and sporting sides. In many cases, the student-athlete will feel ashamed of the areas where they are performing poorly. Since the academics section usually suffers in most cases, the counseling should focus on helping the learners treat the two fields in equal fashion. 

Conclusion 

The challenges experienced in delivering beneficial sessions in the writing centers stem from the rigorous schedules of the student-athletes. These individuals typically move from one sporting event to the other; thus it may be difficult for them to settle comfortably in the academic sessions in the writing centers. Therefore, the tutors have a huge responsibility of ensuring that the student-athletes do well in academics just like the regular students. The process entails that the tutors adopt relevant skill sets and knowledge that will make the student-athletes comfortable during the session in the writing centers. Therefore, the focus of all writing centers should be on the empowering of the tutors and the organizers by revising harsh rules and regulations, improving their rewards and recognition programs and offering them sufficient guidance and counseling to boost their emotional and physical health. 

References 

Babcock, R. D., Manning, K., Rogers, T., Goff, C., & McCain, A. (2012).    A Synthesis of Qualitative Studies of Writing Center Tutoring, 1983-2006 . New York, NY: Peter Lang New York. 

Comeaux, E. (Ed.). (2015).    Making the Connection: DataInformed Practices in Academic Support Centers for College Athletes . Charotte,NC:IAP. 

Huml, M. R., Hancock, M. G., & Bergman, M. J. (2014). Additional support or extravagant cost: Student-athletes' perceptions of athletic academic centers. Ir.library.louisville.edu>faculty 

Lamb, M. S. (2014). Writing: An Athletic Performance.    English Journal , 62-67 

Mickiewicz, J., & Thompson, I. (2018).    Talk about writing: The tutoring strategies of experienced writing center tutors . London: Routledge 

Reinardy, S., & Wanta, W. (2015).  The essentials of sports reporting and writing . Routledge. 

Rubin, L. M., & Moses, R. A. (2017). Athletic subculture within student-athlete academic centers. Sociology of Sports Journal, 34 (4), 317-328 

Toms, M. (2016). National College Learning Center Association 2014 Survey Report. Learning Assistance Review, 21 (1), 9-18. https://files.eric.ed.gov>fulltext. 

Wells, J. (2016). Why We Resist" Leading the Horse": Required Tutoring, RAD Research, and Our Writing Center Ideals. The Writing Center Journal,2 (1) 87-114. 

Williams, J., Colles, C., & Allen, K. J. (2010). Division III Athletes: Perceptions of Faculty Interactions and Academic Support Services.  Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics .