i Jeffrey L. Engbers Health Exercise and Sports Science This ...

the typical classroom will further develop student-athletes into contributing members of
society (Dixon, Turner, Pastore, & Mahony, 2003).
The positive aspects of intercollegiate athletics are seen in the benefit to the
student-athlete. Athletics at Division I and II institutions provide opportunities through
athletic-based scholarships for gifted athletes, allowing disadvantaged youth an
opportunity to obtain a college degree (Denhart, Villwock, & Vedder, 2009). Dr. Myles
Brand, the late president of the NCAA, believed that athletes benefit from intercollegiate
athletics because participation in athletics teaches positive values like pursuit of
excellence, perseverance, resilience, hard work, respect for others, sportsmanship,
civility, and the integrity to lose – and win – with grace (Brand, 2006). Brand also
claimed that athletics provides redeeming values to student-athletes that contribute to
their goals and perspectives on life (Brand, 2006). Henderson et al., (2005) suggests that
athletes make more money upon graduating than non-athletes in some disciplines.
Athletics has also been shown to develop character in student-athletes (Denhard et al.,
2009).
Simon (2008) found it is possible that athletics can build critical thinking
skills. Athletics done the ‘right way’ has the potential to provide learning outside of the
classroom and contribute positively to the overall college experience (Tobin, 2005). As
much as 70% of what students learn in college will occur outside of the classroom
(Wilson, 1966, as cited in Kuh, 1993). Similar research by Moffatt (1988) shows that for
about 40% of students, learning outside of the classroom was the most significant in their
educational experience. At the Division III level, 97% of campus leaders agreed or
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