In this personal account and research exploration, UC Berkeley student [athlete] Kat Friday recalls her experience in high school and college as a state champion and Division I lacrosse player while analyzing the stigma surrounding athletes that says they focus the large majority of their time on physical pursuits as opposed to intellectual pursuits.
The “dumb jock” stereotype has caused issues for student-athletes for many years, and continues to be splashed over the news due to different academic scandals: “UNC report finds 18 years of academic fraud to keep athletes playing” or “N.C.A.A Penalizes Florida State for Academic Fraud” (Ganim & Zinger). Do these scandals accurately portray and apply to all institutions and student-athletes? Is the “dumb jock” stereotype still an “appropriate” label to give student-athletes? Even though there are successful athletes graduating every year from all over the world, the negative articles seem to come to light more, causing people to focus on the label that comes with being a “student-athlete.” This stereotype has continued to cause problems academically and mentally for both the students and the institutions. Some student-athletes’ reputations and work ethic are being questioned by their fellow peers, professors, and the community, which in turn is causing a negative impact on their social and academic life. Some students have felt forced to hide their title of being an athlete, in fear of being discriminated against in the classroom by not only their fellow classmates, but by faculty members and staff.