Today's blog was written by Jeni Houser. Jeni is a senior American Studies major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion Today founder Professor Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan. Jeni is also a middle blocker on the Notre Dame Volleyball Team.
Academic dishonesty has been a common theme in sports for the past year now, and it continues to come up in relation to the current football season. Florida
State is not the only college facing accusations this season. My own
university, Notre Dame, recently expelled five football players for the entire year because of academic dishonesty. For a few of them, this expulsion marks the end of their college career because they ran out of eligibility. Now the University of North Carolina is under investigation for years of academic
fraud on a massive scale. Florida State has also been in the news recently, and JameisWinston may or may not be the problem this time.
Notre Dame suffered a
heartbreaking loss against the defending national champions this fall, but in my opinion, we handled the tough situation with class and dignity and that is why the University is so widely
respected. In an article on the current situation at Florida State, however, a professor from Florida State (and an admitted fan) questioned the morals of his university’s
academic code.
In his essay, the professor proceeded to tell
readers that players and athletics staffers would threaten professors to
pass the players so they would be eligible to play in the bowl game and
upcoming season. These professors were occasionally scared for their lives when
backed into a corner by players who supersede their strength and size. In the
Play Like a Coaching manual it would seem that the Florida State Coaching
staff is teaching players how to be bad role models, as opposed to teaching them the
significance of getting an education and that everything on the field should come with
time. Though winning may be the most important aspect to many of why we play and watch
sports, nothing is more significant than the dignity that one will walk away
with win or lose. I believe that Notre Dame is able to walk away from a win or
loss with their heads held high because we are well respected for being the
bigger team at the end of the day.
