| The academic development of collegiate football players has become a concern in higher education during recent years (Knight Commission, 2010; LaForge & Hodge, 2011; NCAA, 2009). The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the first semester experiences of academically "successful" and "unsuccessful" first year collegiate football players. In particular, this study attempted to identify the variables that academically "successful" and "unsuccessful" football players perceived to have impacted their academic performance during their first semester. An intensity sample of Division I freshman football players who performed well academically during the Fall 2010 semester ( n=6) and a sample of Division I freshman football players who did not perform well academically during the Fall 2010 semester (n=6) were interviewed for this study. Emergent themes that arose from the data analysis for the "successful" student-athlete group included: academic motivation, facilitators of academic success, time management, academic preparation, limited involvement, and academic skills. For the academically "unsuccessful" student-athlete group the relevant themes included: academic motivation, barriers to academic success, time management, academic preparation, limited involvement, and lack of autonomy. The findings from this study provide insight into potential factors that may be useful in identifying student-athletes at risk for academic problems and for designing interventions to address academic performance. |
