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

play, and dedicate themselves to achieving their full potential (Brown, 2010). To
accomplish this, Division III athletes are expected to get an education, which includes
involvement in all aspects of college life (T. Schoonveld, personal communication, June
14, 2010).
Mission statements of athletic departments at Division III institutions tend to be
directed toward the holistic development of the student-athlete. Mission statements at
Division I institutions tend to be directed towards providing entertainment for the
community (Siegel, 2001). A former athletics handbook of a NCAA Division III college
states, “the mission is to enhance the development of student-athletes within an overall
program of academic growth, personal health and exercise, the development of personal
character and concentration, the support of team effort and competition, and the
enhancement of habits that lead to lifelong well-being” (Guilford College Athletics
Handbook 2001 as cited in Appenzeller, 2003, p. 10). The NCAA Division III philosophy
states:
Colleges and universities in NCAA Division III place highest priority on the
overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of
all students' academic programs. They seek to establish and maintain an
environment in which a student-athlete's athletic activities are conducted as an
integral part of the student-athlete's educational experience. They also seek to
establish and maintain an environment that values cultural diversity and gender
equity among their student-athletes and athletics staff. (NCAA, 2010b)
The NCAA Division III model of athletics emphasizes the student over the athlete
(NCAA, 2010b). Perhaps this model of athletics is the most appropriate for the NCAA if
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