Many college athletes continue to demonstrate low levels of motivation and achievement in the classroom (Simons, Van Rheenen, & Covington, 1999). Institutions of higher learning do not seem to be able to devise effective strategies that would resolve this situation. Collegiate athletes present a "motivational contradiction," in that many are motivated to succeed in the athletic domain yet, seem to lack the motivation to learn and achieve at high levels in the classroom. Perhaps this is due to the arrival of many athletes at college campuses in a state of low readiness for academic challenge. Mitchell and Piatrowka's (1974) research indicates that under-prepared students are likely to have deficits in motivation and are more likely to be distracted in their academic tasks than their successful peers. Although all students should be beneficiaries of academic support, campus athletes may comprise a group of clients that are in particular need of such assistance. The role of a collegiate student-athlete entails a variety of expectations as well as special challenges (Ervin, Saunders, Gillis, & Hoprabo, 1985; Parham, 1993). As the term suggests, student-athletes are expected to fulfill a dual role, that of student as well as athlete (Adler & Adler, 1987; Parham, 1993). Many athletes entering collegiate sport are academically and socially unprepared (Bruno, Holland, & Ward, 1988; Staurt 1985). If proper services are not provided to guide them, many succumb to a multitude of powerful stressors on the playing field, in the classroom, and in their social lives (Felston & Wilcox, 1993). Results of this thesis research should be helpful to those who counsel and advise student-athletes. Therefore one purpose of this study was is to provide information, which should help clarify the perceived intensity, frequency and nature of stressors encountered by university student-athletes. A second purpose of equal importance was to determine perceptions held by the study's athlete participants about the university provided support services designed to help the manage their stressors. Results of this research indicate that athletes at Florida State University view support service as comprehensive and helpful. The staff members who provide services are perceived as being well prepared. In response to the first hypothesis GPA was not found to correlate with student-athlete's overall perception of effectiveness about the academic services. The study also discovered that there were no statistically significant correlation between high school GPA and perceptions about effectiveness of academic support services and only a slight low and negative correlation between high school GPA and amount of study hall hours attended per week. Contrary to what hypothesis four predicted there was no difference in perceptions between race, sport, gender, and revenue and non-revenue sports. The result of the last hypothesis stated that regardless of gender, stress appraisal was not significantly correlated with amount of study hall hours or perceptions about the services. Studies such as this one should be conducted every few years to make sure that the service effectiveness is being maintained.
