Part 2: Planning Now for the Student-Athletes of the Future
Earlier this week, I published Planning Now for the Student-Athletes of the Future (Part 1), based on recent research of 1,050 student-athletes. Trends in Part 1 included technology, personalization, and soft skills development. Part 2 adds three more trends for Coaches to consider as they develop a long-term strategy to prepare to meet the evolving needs of student-athletes.
Increased Emphasis on Career Development
Influenced greatly by the experience of the last 18 months and the prospect of a challenging job market deep into the future, student-athletes have “career skills” on their mind more than simply a college degree. Theirs is not a debate on the value of college, a liberal arts degree, or the need to transform universities into vocational schools. (While some studies have shown that the general student body has said the value of a college education has diminished since COVID, student-athletes I’ve studied say they value higher education more post-pandemic.) Student-Athletes (and their parents) will prioritize outcomes and career preparation in the future more than ever.
92% of student-athletes say colleges and universities need to incorporate more real-life experiences during their four years - even if it means reducing time spent playing their sport
67% of student-athletes believe colleges will and must move toward a price-to-value tuition model based on a chosen major and subsequent career path
Not surprising for a generation that is so closely tied to “gamification,” 57% of student-athletes believe that colleges and universities should offer - in addition to majors, minors, and concentrations - additional means of and “leveling-up,” such as certificates to give them more opportunity in the job market
Recruiting New Student-Athlete Groups
According to the U.S. Census, today, the U.S. is a non-Hispanic white majority, but is projected to become majority nonwhite in the next decade. Why is this important to Coaches planning for the future? Because the changing demographics will have an ever-increasing impact on who, where, and how Coaches will be recruiting in the years to come.
61% of student-athletes I studied identify as non-Hispanic white (that’s a 9% drop from the NCAA statistics just nine years ago)
21% of student-athletes report living in multi-generational households (most commonly adults, children, and grandparents)
26% of student-athletes are immigrants or the children of immigrants
Mental Health Support
While mental health is certainly not a new topic, its presence in the collective student-athlete social media discussion is indication that their needs are not yet being met. Student-Athletes of the future will likely require and expect an even greater level of support.
About 40% of student-athletes I surveyed said they’d experienced anxiety or depression, but only about half sought support of any kind
41% of student-athletes would like preventive or earlier access to mental health care
52% of student-athletes say mental health services should take precedence over other support that is academic or athletic in nature