Arianne POLIS1Marc CLOES1

Introduction Method

Results and discussion

ANALYSIS OF THE SUPPORT PROVIDED TO STUDENT-ATHLETES IN WALLONIA. THE CASE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Benoît LENZEN2

Comparison of the sitesFive categories of support provided to the student-athletes have been identified (Table 1)

Using a qualitative approach, we conducted a survey across a number of sites interviewing University Sport Managers (SM), Student-Athletes (SA), Tutors (T), Coordinators (C), Members of Sport Federation (M) and Professional Athletes (PA).

The status of the student-athletes differs around the world. As pointed out by Underwood (1984) or Wilford (1990), US students, for example, have many advantages to become top athletes while the situation is not so easy in the European countries where the student-athletes do not benefit of similar conditions (Wylleman & De Knop, 1995).The situation of the athletes entering in higher education is more difficult than in secondary school level: (1) they have to cope with the pressure of their parents who generally consider that academic preparation can offer more opportunities of long term professional perspectives (Kourieuris, 1991); (2) higher education require more personal involvement of the students; (3) most of them need to join a boarding; (4) they are not really well perceived by all the academic staff (Mc Kenna & Dustan-Lewis, 2004).The present study was designed to highlight the working conditions of the Walloon student-athletes.

Table 1 – Comparison of the support offered to higher education student-athletes in four European regions or countries

1 University of Liège, Belgium2 University of Geneve, Switzerland

Each subject was interviewed face to face (excluding French subjects who were interviewed by phone), between 2003/11 and 2004/12.Interviews were recorded on audiotape and transcribed verbatim for further content analysis.Interanalyst reliability reached 86.3%.

Wallonia

Universities Higher schools

Site # 1

13 SA

1 SM

2 T

Site # 2

9 SA

1 SM

2 T

Site # 3

7 SA

2 SM

Site # 4

3 SA

1 T

Site # 5

3 SA

1 T

Site # 6

3 SA

1 T

Sportfed.

8 M 4 PA

Prof.athletes

3 SA

France

Site # 8

3 SA

1 C

1 T

SportDept.

1 M

Site # 7

3 SA

1 SM

2 T

SportDept.

1 M

Flanders

Site # 91 SM

2 T

SportDept.

1 M

UK

WalloniaFlemish

universityFrench

universityEnglish

university UniversitiesHigher schools

1) Specific structure to help student-athletes          

Coordinator No No Yes Yes Yes

Tutor Yes / No No Yes Yes Yes

Coaches on the campus No No Yes Yes Yes

2) Studies adjustements    

Staggering of the academic years Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Postponement of exams Yes / No Yes / No Yes Yes Yes

Excused absences Yes Yes / No Yes Yes Yes

Remedial course No No Yes Yes Yes

E-learning No No No Yes No

3) Sports adjustements          

Priority for sports facilities’ use Yes / No No Yes Yes Yes

Training on the campus No No Yes Yes Yes

Supervision by sports specialists Yes / No No Yes Yes Yes

Interest for university competitions Yes / No Yes / No No Yes Yes

4) Medical or paramedical advantages          

Sport medicine specialists No No Yes Yes Yes

Sport physiotherapist No No Yes Yes Yes

Psychologists and sport dieticians No No Yes Yes Yes

Sport sciences specialists (biomechanics) No No Yes No Yes5) Logistic advantages          

Housing on the campus/sport facilities No No Yes Yes Yes

Parking on the campus No No No No Yes

Opinions of the Walloon professional athletesAthletes who choose to not combine sport and higher education are convinced that they had no other choice.If they did not regret their choice, most of them considered however that their situation was precarious and resumed studies by seeking programmes where they could find organizational facilities.

« I’d like more recognition; some teachers are not aware about the life that we have.” (ES 1/7, line 60)

“I was selected to participate to a tournament in Ireland but, due to an exam that a teacher didn’t accept to transfer, I didn’t go.” (ES 1/5, line 14).

Vs“E-learning is available but I didn’t try it yet.” (ES 8/1, line 54)

“You must move so much people to get a small thing that I organize all by myself now!” (ES 1/1, line 111)

Vs“Students are training 20 hours per week on the campus, fitness training comprised.” (R 8/1, line 6)“When I was at secondary level school, I had 15 training hours weekly but now I can practice 25 hours because, here, one has many possibilities to train on the campus.” (ES 7/1, line 31)

“I have some sessions with the psychologist when I have some problems with the team or the coach; he counsels me. I have also sessions by the physiotherapist of the university.” (ES 7/3, line 78)“They (university staff) analysed her position on her saddle because she complained about the back.” (C 7/1, line 76)

“I was able to increase the amount of training sessions because the structure is excellent and I should not move any more to participate to the training sessions .”(ES 9/1, line 14)

Conclusions

Vs“They don’t need support but a flexibility in their studies which allows them to combine top level sport and their studies.” (C 7/1, line 125) “We review the situation at the beginning of the school year, after the January and June’s exams and, eventually, after exams organised in September.” (C 7/1, line 94)

AIESEP International Congress Lisbon - November 2005, 15-20

References can be asked to the first author (Marc.Cloes@ulg.ac.be)