The National
Collegiate Athletics Association
The NCAA provides a voice at the federal
level for American Colleges and Universities. It has a membership
of over 1,200 institutions, organisation and individuals, all with
the common goal of improving and maintaining the high level of the
nations intercollegiate sports. The NCAA feels that academic and
athletics performance must be developed side by side at the Collegiate
level to produce a well rounded student-athlete.
A Brief History
The NCAA has its roots in the rough beginnings of American Football.
It was President Roosevelt himself who took the first steps towards
the reformation of the sport and the start of the NCAA. At a meeting
of 13 institutions in 1905, he encouraged a concerted effort to
make changes in the football playing rules to avoid the complete
abolition of the sport at Collegiate level. This led to the formation
of the Intercollegiate Athletics Association Of The United States
(IAAUS) a short time later. The IAAUS was renamed the NCAA the following
year and in 1921, it went beyond it’s discussion groups to
hold it’s first NCAA national championship: The national collegiate
track and field championship.
In 1951, Walter Byers became the first salaried executive director
in an effort to bring a professional voice to the association.
The start of the 80’s led to the inclusion of women’s
athletics and services. Nineteen championship events were established
for the women’s program.
The NCAA’s Role Today
Throughout it’s history, the NCAA has strived to control abuse
of student athletes and improve intercollegiate programs. These
efforts include establishing and maintaining standards for intercollegiate
sports, developing educational leadership programs and promoting
recreational participation in athletics. The Association also collects
athletics records and statistics as well as formulating rules of
play for intercollegiate athletics.
One of the most important roles of the NCAA is to represent it’s
members at the state and federal level, in matters ranging from
federal aid to physical education and the televising of championships.
As well as promoting their own championship events, the NCAA also
helps in the planning and participation in international sports
by being a member in various sporting bodies such as the U.S.Olympic
Committee and the U.S. Collegiate Sports Council.
Scholarships
For the athletes themselves, the NCAA provides valuable support
both throughout their college years, and beyond into their professional
careers.
Last year the NCAA awarded more than $1million in scholarships.
These are awarded to students who are involved in college athletics
or related careers. There are three scholarships for postgraduate
studies and two for undergraduates.
Over 150 postgraduate scholarships are awarded annually to athletes
who have excelled both in their sport and in their academic studies.
The women’s enhancement program was established n the 1980’s
and serves to enhance opportunities for women athletes at various
levels. At the same time the NCAA Ethnic Minority Enhancement Program
was formed to increase opportunities for minority candidates specialising
in coaching and administrative positions in athletics.
For more information find the NCAA on: http://www.NCAA.ORG.
Researched and written by S.J. Ball.
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
