




































    

 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

1 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

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EMPOWERING STUDENT-ATHLETES: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO 

MENTORSHIP 
 

 

John A. Smith, Ph.D. 

Coppin State University, Baltimore, Maryland 

 

Abstract: Coppin State University, supported by an NCAA grant, has made significant strides in improving the 

academic success and graduation rates of its intercollegiate athletes. This initiative has resulted in a commendable 

75% graduation rate, a notable achievement considering the historical challenges faced by athletes at Historically 

Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

In addition to academic success, the university's Health and Health Education faculty have taken a holistic 

approach to mentor selected intercollegiate athletes, particularly those in their first and second years. This 

initiative focuses on enhancing the athletes' overall well-being, recognizing that the demands on them often 

surpass those of their non-athletic peers. 

One such challenge involves countering the pervasive "dumb jock" stereotype, which can lead to negative 

perceptions from faculty, staff, and fellow students. This comprehensive approach aims to empower 

intercollegiate athletes to effectively manage the unique pressures they face during their college careers. 

Keywords: NCAA grant, intercollegiate athletes, academic success, graduation rates, holistic mentorship, "dumb 

jock" stereotype 

 

 

Introduction 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) awarded Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland 

a grant to accelerate academic success within the university’s athletic program. The grant was awarded in 2012 

and totals $900,000 over three years. Although the graduation rates of intercollegiate athletes at Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been as low as 49% (Hosick, 2013; Sander, 2007; and Melendez, 2006), 

the current intercollegiate athlete graduation rate at Coppin State University has climbed to 75% thanks to a 

philosophy that emphasizes graduating over remaining eligible and graduating in four years.   

Building on the academic successes of the Coppin State University Athletic Department,  Coppin State University 

Health and Health Education faculty developed an initiative with selected intercollegiate athletes to holistically 

mentor them by focusing on aspects of their overall health and well-being, with a primary focus on first and 

second year intercollegiate athletes.    

According to Stone (2012), far more demands are placed on intercollegiate athletes than are placed on their non 

athletic counterparts. Developing a comprehensive understanding of these demands and how they play out in the 

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 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

2 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE 

college classroom and then developing the means for intercollegiate athletes to effectively manage these demands 

will determine the success or failure of the intercollegiate athlete over the course of their college careers. Stone 

states that one such demand with which many intercollegiate athletes must contend is the negativity of faculty, 

staff, and other students toward them that is characterized in the “dumb jock” stereotype.   

There is a very strong belief by students, faculty, and staff on college campuses that intercollegiate athletes are 

placed in majors that are “undemanding” and that they are placed in courses that are “dumbed down” and easy. 

Stone suggests that intercollegiate athletes at HBCUs are especially stigmatized and honestly believe the “dumb 

jock” label is applied to them even more so than to white intercollegiate athletes. Stone cites research conducted 

in the 1960s in which it was revealed that these labels can result in negative relationships between intercollegiate 

athletes and professors and impair the intercollegiate athlete’s ability to perform well in the classroom setting. 

Stone suggests that these types of behaviors toward intercollegiate athletes are very much reminiscent of the 

“stereotype threat.” The “stereotype threat” (Steele and Aronson, 1995), simply stated, is the anxiety one feels 

when they believe others have a negative opinion of them.  Steele and Aronson suggest that this belief and the 

anxiety it can create can make one feel so anxious about their performance in the classroom and even the athletic 

arena that they will begin to perform poorly in both areas.    

In preparing students for the rigors of college life, Gabriel (2008) cites the philosophy and teaching principles of 

Chickering and Gamson (1987). Those principles include “encouraging contacts between students and faculty, 

developing reciprocity and cooperation among students, and communicating high expectations.” Gabriel also 

emphasizes the need to promote “deep learning” and rigor. This is particularly important for intercollegiate 

athletes at HBCUs. Gray (2008) conducted a research study on grade inflation to find “solutions to lapses in rigor” 

on college campuses and found that since the 1960s grades have continued to increase while student understanding 

of college level subject matter has decreased. For example, Gray cites Denton and Henson (1979) who posit that 

the percentage of A’s increased from 16% to 34% from the 1960s to the 1970s while the number of C grades was 

cut in half raising a C+ to a B. Gray suggests that professors inflate grades for any number of reasons including 

keeping intercollegiate athletes eligible. When coupled with the fact that many intercollegiate athletes, especially 

at HBCUs, are already unprepared for college, Gabriel suggests that they lack even the basic resources to succeed 

in the college classroom and this lack creates a climate of stress.   

Pfister (2004) posits that faculty mentoring programs that focus on first year intercollegiate athletes reduce the 

perceived stress level of the intercollegiate athlete and contribute positively to their social support systems.   

Coppin State’s Health and Health Education faculty began mentoring selected first and second year intercollegiate 

athletes in weekly sessions where a variety of concerns and issues are discussed.  According to Pfister, programs 

such as these are of great benefit to students who are attempting to transition to college life and go a long way to 

building and maintaining success in the classroom. Pfister found that intercollegiate athletes who were mentored 

by faculty felt they experienced more social support than from other non-faculty sources. According to Pfister, 

the NCAA actually encourages its member institutions to participate in its “Challenging Athlete’s Minds for 

Personal Success” (CHAMPS) program. One of the major components of the CHAMPS program is to reduce the 

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 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

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“transitional stress” that many intercollegiate athletes experience as they transition from high school to college 

life.  

In the weekly mentoring sessions, Coppin State University athletes are encouraged to create and foster better 

relationships with non-athletes and with athletes in different sports. This is primarily accomplished through the 

development of study partners. Sherbume (2009) states that “little research has been conducted concerning how 

intercollegiate athlete’s participation in athletics affects their social development.” According to Sherbume, 

intercollegiate athletes spend more time socializing with their teammates than with other athletes or with non-

athletes and when surveyed a significant number (86.4%) of the surveyed intercollegiate athletes stated that  

personal relationships affected their athletic performance either negatively or positively depending on the 

negativity or positivity of the relationship. Sherbume also noted that in classroom environments, first year 

intercollegiate athletes almost always sat among their teammates rather than choosing seating arrangements that 

foster the development of expanded social interactions.   

Al-Qaisy (2010) conducted a research study to ascertain the effects of gender and adjustment to college life among 

first year college students and found that while many students are excited about leaving home and attending 

college, they are quickly disappointed by all of the demands placed on them. Many first and second year college 

students find that they must make many adult decisions that they are not prepared to make. Al-Qaisy cites a study 

by the National Center for Educational Statistics that found that a third of first year college students leave college 

after their first year, but Al-Qaisy also found that first year female college students tended to adjust better to 

college life than did first year male college students.  

Pfister (2004) suggests that “transitional stress” can be experienced by intercollegiate athletes when transitioning 

from high school to college life and this stress can sometimes lead to depression. Weigard, Cohen, and Merenstein 

(2013) found significantly high levels of depression among current intercollegiate athletes when compared to 

former intercollegiate athletes.  In their surveys, Weigard et al. found that about 17% of the surveyed 

intercollegiate athletes exhibited many symptoms of depression. Weigard et al. suggest that the added pressure of 

competition, training, and college level coursework can contribute to collegiate level athletic depression.   

Another major topic of the weekly mentoring sessions focuses on sleep and sleep deprivation. Dormitory and on-

campus college life is not always conducive to establishing and maintaining healthy sleep patterns. A link was 

found between depression, stress, and sleep patterns by Lund, Reider, Whiting, and Prichard (2010) who state 

that between 20% to nearly 70%  of the college students surveyed were kept awake all night at least once per 

week as a result of stress. It was further reported that 12% of these poor sleepers miss class or fall asleep in class 

as many as three times per month. Wells and Vaughn (2012) state that the solution to sleep deprivation problems 

should begin by promoting education and awareness of the problem on the part of educators and educational 

institutions. According to Maas & Davis (2013), although most individuals presume they are getting adequate 

amounts of sleep, brain wave studies suggest that nearly 70% of the population does not get the recommended 

daily requirement of sleep. Keating (2012) postulates that just as a lack of sleep can make an intercollegiate athlete 

perform worst, more sleep (not just adequate sleep) can actually make an intercollegiate athlete perform better. 

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 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

4 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

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Keating cites research that was conducted over the course of three seasons that found that after increasing their 

daily rates of sleep to 10 hours per night, intercollegiate athletes in a wide variety of sports dramatically improved 

their athletic performance.  

Trockel, Barnes, and Egget (2000) conducted a survey of college students to determine what health behaviors and 

variables affected grade point averages (GPA) and found that later wake-up times translated into lower GPAs 

suggesting the benefit of earlier bedtimes. Murdock (2013) reports that there is a direct link between texting and 

poor sleep habits. Murdock states that these findings are particularly valuable given the sleep problems that first 

year college students already experience and according to Murdock these findings also support previous research 

on the association of cell phone use and sleep problems.   

Mitru, Millrood, and Mateika (2002) posit that although the need for quality sleep increases as one continues to 

age, many adolescents and young adults are not getting nearly enough sleep and this lack of sleep is affecting 

their ability to process information and even form and develop positive peer relationships.   

More than 800 college students participated in a study that included the Sleep Quality Index and the National 

College Health Risk Survey (Centers for Disease Control) and it was found that the risk of suicide, smoking and 

alcohol use, and fighting are linked to poor sleep habits (Vail-Smith, Felts, and Becker, 2009). According to Wells 

and Vaughn (2012), the STOP-BANG questionnaire is a useful tool in screening for sleep problems. The acronym 

STOP-BANG is the abbreviation for Snoring, Tiredness/sleepiness/fatigue, Observed apnea, and P bp (>140-90 

Rx or no). The “p” stands for pressure, meaning blood pressure. The BANG acronym stands for Body mass index, 

Age, Neck size, and Gender. The STOP-BANG instrument was developed by Chung, Yegneswaran, Liao, Chung, 

Vairavanathan, Islam Khajehdehi, and Shapiro (2008).   

A third major topic of discussion in the weekly mentoring sessions pertains to nutrition, vitamins, and eating 

habits. Dunn, Turner, and Denny (2007) suggest that while many of the intercollegiate athletes in their study had 

relatively good attitudes concerning nutrition and healthy eating, their overall nutritional knowledge was low. 

Willis, Peterson, and Larson-Meyer (2008) posit that in intercollegiate athletes as well as in the general 

population, there exists a “surprisingly high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency.” Willis et al. suggest that this 

vitamin deficiency can negatively affect an intercollegiate athlete’s sport performance.  Vitamin D helps the body 

absorb calcium and calcium is known to be an important nutrient in the development of strong bones and teeth. 

As a matter of fact, milk is actually fortified with vitamin D.  However, at least two studies reported in the British 

Medical Journal (Theodoratou, E., Tzoulaki, I., Zgaga, L., and loannidis, J, 2014; Chowdhury, R., Kunutsor, S., 

Vitezova, A., Oliver-Williams, C., Kiefte-de-Jong, J. et al. 2014) suggest that not enough is known about vitamin 

D to draw any conclusions as to its beneficial qualities or lack thereof. In the first study, it was found that only 

about ten of the more than one hundred and thirty studies on vitamin D could conclusively link vitamin D to any 

healthy outcomes.   

Hoch, Papanek, Szabo, Widlansky, Schimke and Gutterman (2011) in studies of female intercollegiate athletes 

found that most female intercollegiate athletes lack enough vitamins in their systems to safeguard them from 

losses of bone density and this lack could even result in the absence of menstrual periods or an increase in 

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 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

5 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

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menstrual dysfunction.  The relationship of poor eating habits, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density in 

women is known as the “female triad.” Only about 60% of all university athletic programs nationwide conduct 

comprehensive medical exams and full medical histories of their intercollegiate athletes and when they do, it is 

only among first year intercollegiate athletes according to Hoch et al.   

Azagba, Langille, and Asbridge (2014) state that energy drinks, long a staple among athletes, are actually linked 

to poor mental health functioning and the propensity toward substance abuse. These energy drinks can also impair 

sleep, can cause nervousness and nausea, and can negatively affect the cardiovascular system. According to 

Oyebode, Gordon-Dseagu, Walker, and Mitchell (2014), eating a minimum of seven fruits and vegetables per day 

can reduce the risk of death by more than 40%. In a survey of more than 65,000 subjects, cancer death risks and 

heart disease death risks were lowered by as much as 30% as a result of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The 

study revealed that vegetables are more beneficial than fruits and fresh vegetables are more beneficial than canned 

or frozen. As a matter of fact, the study revealed that “canned and frozen fruit appeared to increase death rates by 

17% per portion.” The study further revealed that consuming salads and snacking on fresh fruits adds another 

benefit and can reduce death risks by an additional 15%. In the weekly mentoring sessions, the diets and eating 

habits of the intercollegiate athletes are constantly evaluated and the athletes are constantly encouraged to focus 

on developing and maintaining good nutritional habits.   

In studies on subjective well-being conducted by Pressman and Cohen (2005) and Diener and Chan (2011) as 

well as others, it has been suggested that happier people are healthier people and healthier people are more 

successful and productive people. It should therefore follow that the academic/scholastic success rate of 

intercollegiate athletes should rise in direct correlation to increases in their overall health.   

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 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

6 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE 

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mailto:topacademicjournals@gmail.com


    

 American Journal of Medical and Physical Education 
Vol.8, Issue 3; May-June 2023; 

ISSN: 2994-0524 

Impact Factor: 6.14 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE; mail: topacademicjournals@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

7 | A m e r i c a n  J o u r n a l  o f  M e d i c a l  a n d  P h y s i c a l  E d u c a t i o n  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJMPE 

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