"The Underbelly of the Beast" The Role Of Athletic- Academic Advisors In Intercollegiate Athletics Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Perry, Thomas Frank Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 10:04:50 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194323 “THE UNDERBELLY OF THE BEAST” THE ROLE OF ATHLETIC-ACADEMIC ADVISORS IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS by Thomas Frank Perry _____________________ Copyright © Thomas Frank Perry 2005 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE, READING AND CULTURE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2 0 0 5 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Thomas Frank Perry entitled “The Underbelly of the Beast” The Role of Athletic-Academic Advisors in Intercollegiate Athletics_ and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy _______________________________________________________________________ Date: November 15, 2004 Richard Ruiz _______________________________________________________________________ Date: November 15, 2004 Carolyn Maddy-Bernstein _______________________________________________________________________ Date: November 15, 2004 Luis Moll Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: November 15, 2004 Dissertation Director Richard Ruiz 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: _____Thomas Frank Perry______ 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I considered my time in the Department of Language, Reading and Culture as my formative years. The faculty and staff made my experience of schooling the most memorable of the twenty plus years in a classroom. John Bradley taught me true compassion. John’s life and classroom manner embodied a quote of the Dalai Lama: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Richard Ruiz allowed me to find my way and to appreciate the process. His guidance and subtle form of presenting questions when nearing the end made me realize that the journey is more important than the end product. The heart of LRC is the staff; Maria and Yvonne have become my life long friends. Thank you for never giving up on me, the encouragement you provided, and, of course, staying in touch with everyone over the years. The following people provided inspiration and support whenever I’d stray during my journey: Doris, Jake, Jason, Jim E., Becca, Reuben, Enrique, Elton, Mike F., Jason, Lynn, and last but not least… Robert and Daniel Perry, my Dad and my Son. Both are reminders of the simple joys of life. They are two proud men that are models of strength through perseverance. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………………... 6 ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………….. 7 CHAPTER ONE – ATHLETIC PARADOX …………………….…………………... 8 PREFACE …………………………………………………………………………......... 8 CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT …………………………………………………..………....... 9 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ……………………………… 11 METHODOLOGY ……………………………………………………………………………... 16 ASSUMPTIONS ………………………………..…………………………………………..…... 17 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ………………...…………………………………………...... 23 SYSTEMS ………………………………………………………………………………28 CHAPTER TWO – HISTORY & REVIEW OF LITERATURE ……………..…... 40 ROLE OF THE ATHLETIC-ACADEMIC ADVISOR …………………………..………..... 47 THE BELLY OF THE BEAST …………………………………………………...……… 60 CHAPTER THREE – ATHLETIC STEREOTYPE .................................................. 61 COLLEGE RECRUITING ……………………….……...……………………………..... 69 DRUGS AND THE STUDENT-ATHLETE ………………...……………………………… 71 CHAPTER FOUR – DOG DAYS …………………………………..………………... 77 CHAPTER FIVE – THE ATHLETIC BUSINESS …..………………………........ 101 CHAPTER SIX – THE STUDENT-ATHLETE …………...……………..……….. 128 THE VALUE OF AN EDUCATION …………………………………..……...………..... 140 CHAPTER SEVEN – THE EYE OF THE STORM ………………..………...…... 150 ONE SHORT DAY ......................................................................................................... 158 TUTORING ………...……………………………………………..………….............. 163 CHAPTER EIGHT – SUMMARY: THE POWER OF CHOICE …..…………… 176 STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK OUR BONES ………………………...………….. 179 RITUALS ………………………………………………………………..………….... 190 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………….. 201 6 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 – The Relationship Between Education Level and Household Income ..... 200 7 ABSTRACT Mae West is credited with saying, “When I'm good, I'm good. When I'm bad, I'm very good.” Intercollegiate Athletics in American society has taken on the attitude and swagger of the legacy of Mae West. At its very best for the active and passive participant, intercollegiate athletics can be a breath taking, exhilarating experience. However, to attain and maintain successful teams at the competitive pinnacle of its amateur expression, Division I athletics comes with some human costs. The exploitative nature of Division I athletics is hidden in the shadow cast by the cultural myth of the inherent good of competition. While portraying the dynamic working relationship between first-generation college student-athletes and their Athletic-Academic Advisors, this qualitative study presents a case that concludes that the objectives of intercollegiate athletics function as a cultural action system that inculcates the capitalist paradigm. Despite long standing research that addresses the negative effects of competition, we continue to frantically engage in the effort to outdo others. This has become the paradigm at work, in our schools, and on our playing fields. Yet the true meaning of life can only be discovered through fully experiencing another human being ― by loving him. In the end, the quality of our life is solely predicated on the quality of our relationships. 8 CHAPTER ONE ATHLETIC PARADOX PREFACE This dissertation is my attempt to portray and address the dynamic working relationship between first-generation college student-athletes and their Athletic- Academic Advisors (AAA) on Division 1A campuses. As a former first-generation college student-athlete, I’ve long pondered the role of athletics in American society. I consider the role and relationship of athletics and academics in our society as unique as the factors that effect a student-athlete’s academic success or failure. My professional experience as a college coach and administrator has provided me a unique opportunity and unparalleled access to an insider’s perspective to the challenges of intercollegiate athletic academics. My writing style is at times purposefully informal. My intent is to match my method of writing with the authentic perspectives and chaos that most in the profession associate with the job. The stories that make up the essence of this study are written purposely to convey and depict the social factors and relationship challenges between student-athletes and their AAA. My writing began at a time of crisis. To be sure that I was not imagining the events that consumed all my waking hours I started writing about the circumstances with which I was entwined. My days and most nights were spent in an effort to protect the integrity of the University, the department and of course provide additional options for the student-athletes involved. Although, the process was cathartic because it established my sanity, after it was all said and done, despite the lack of conviction by the student- 9 athlete to fully engage in the educational process, or be accountable for their choices, I felt like a failure every time I lost one. CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT A relationship with a special friend, developed through time and dialogue, initiated this process of inquiry. During my lifetime, I have come to appreciate my talks with this friend because they have led me to examine the impact of socio-cultural traits on academic failure or success. My friend often reminds me of his own early educational experiences when he struggled through periods of doubt regarding his intellectual abilities. His experiences parallel those of most social outsiders and continue to influence his life today. His self-concept is shaped by reluctance to risk, driven by feelings of inadequacy that are reinforced by early failures and ridicule from peers and/or teachers in school. These kinds of stories often touch the core of my belief system regarding the influence