Student-Athlete Career Development through Community Service: A Retrospective Study

The purpose of this study was to examine, through a retrospective lens, the effects that collegiate community service has on the career development of student-athletes under the umbrella of functional motivation theory. To do so, researchers analyzed the career development of seven former Southeastern Conference (SEC) student-athletes who were awarded membership to the SEC Community Service team through both individual and team contributions. NCAA Division-I student-athletes face hindrances through time restraints but also have resources designed to enhance academic and vocational development, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Life Skills program (formerly CHAMPS). Through phone interviews focused on reflective collegiate community service and career development, several themes emerged. For collegiate community service the most common themes were: Service Settings, Current Service, and Time Restraints. For career development, the major themes were: Working with Diverse Groups, Scholarship and Admittance into Graduate Programs, and Career Choice/Personal Values. In analysis, the majority of the discovered themes align firmly with the National Association of College and Employer’s (NACE) career readiness competencies.