AVRIL KING
Social Media Asst.
Clearer skin, improved mood, weight maintenance: these are just a few of the benefits that come from regular exercise through a sport. And now, according to research conducted by Fredonia’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, athletes are more likely to graduate.
These studies (which are based on graduation six years after enrollment) have shown that from 2005 to 2009, the average college graduation rate for student athletes was around 75.8%. This is 11% higher than the graduation average computed for non-athletes.
That is no coincidence.
In fact, since 1992 (at the earliest), athletes at Fredonia have consistently maintained a higher graduation rate than their non-athletic peers.
According to Greg Prechtl, Fredonia’s director of athletics, there are multiple reasons for this trend to persist.
“I think that one of the [benefits] with athletes is that they tend to be part of a group,” said Prechtl. “They tend to, perhaps, persist longer than their non-athletic cohorts.”
He also mentioned that athletes are required to hold a specific GPA in order to participate, which in turn behooves coaches to monitor their players so that they are able to compete.
As it has been depicted in the SUNY Fredonia Factbook (the most recent of which is from Fall 2015), overall student enrollment has been dropping since around 2011. However, the Athletics Department has not felt this decline.
Prechtl shared that the number of students participating in sports has remained consistent at around 325 to 350 athletes competing each year. This can largely be attributed to recruitment.
“Probably 315 to 320 [athletes] were actively recruited here,” said Prechtl. “They came because they felt they had the best opportunity to play at Fredonia.”
The advantages of partaking in a sport are numerous. The academic successes of athletes are undeniable. And the athletes themselves? At least in this regard, it seems they are unstoppable.