Monday, February 04, 2008
Athletics
As the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, I have been persuaded of the value of organized athletics to higher education. I must admit that I was an unlikely choice for this important role on campus: as a child, I was a classic geek with little interest in sports. My father, who played intramural basketball and traveled to tournaments to compete against other club teams in the Midwest, continued to be a vigorous about hoops until recently, as well as taking up tennis later in life and being willing to shovel the snow off the courts in order to play doubles. Like his profession of engineering, this passion I did not inherit.
In any event, from my involvement with our athletics program I have seen that it provides structure to undergraduate education, instills discipline and teamwork (the latter even in events requiring competition among individuals), creates a lasting sense of stakeholding and community, and offers a welcome complement to academic study. Of course, it promotes a healthy lifestyle, and it would be wrong to underestimate the influence of physical well-being on intellectual pursuits. There also is ample empirical evidence showing that, on average, student-athletes persist to graduation at higher rates than typical students. It is enough that I have taken up exercising with a trainer at least twice a week, and I took fencing lessons – just enough to host “Whack Wu,” a group lesson for alumni, faculty, and administrators.
