Social Media and the High School Athlete

Unless you have had your head under a rock for the past few years,  you have a Twitter account,  Instagram, maybe even holding on to a Facebook account to keep up with a grandma.  You know everything there is to know about social media, right?  Well, maybe not. 

In a recent study conducted by the National Association of College Admission Counseling it was revealed that “Social media outlets have influenced the way that the current generation of graduating high school students communicates, gathers knowledge and makes decisions. Therefore, social media has also influenced the way that admission offices recruit and potentially select students.”  (National Associaton for Colege Admission Counselors, 2009) Catch those last 3 words, potentially select students.  No laws currently prohibit private universities from using applicants’ verified social media profiles as criteria for admission.  And no laws prohibit any institution from using search engines to find you on the net.

“Students’ social media and digital footprint can sometimes play a role in the admissions process,” says Christine Brown, the executive director of K-12 and college prep programs at Kaplan Test Prep. “It’s something that is becoming more ubiquitous and less looked down upon.”  (Singer, 2013)  In other words, be careful what you tweet if you want to go to college. 

This is especially true if you want to be a college athlete.    Many college coaches in America now ask for your twitter information when the recruiting process begins.  You may think they want to follow you so that they can let you know of certain events coming up.  What they are doing is checking up on you.  So you think you can just erase any embarrassing tweets?  Wrong.  There are many services out there than can track every tweet you’ve ever sent.  Just because you delete it, doesn’t mean it goes away.

Let’s get straight to the point.  YOU chose to be a student athlete at your school.  With that choice comes a responsibility:  to represent your school in a positive way.  The name across the front of your jersey is not just the name of the team, it is every student, teacher , janitor, administrator, etc at that school.  Don’t disgrace them by having twitter fights or using inappropriate language on social media sites.  Don’t post pics that might lead to hurt feelings or that you know will draw negative attention to you or your team.  Sometimes what you may consider a joke isn’t funny to anyone but you.

How embarrassing would it be if the school you wanted to attend told you that your academics are great, your skills are awesome, but you aren’t the type of person they want on their team or on their campus  because of your Twitter profile?

 Here are some guidelines I suggest for you:

1.  Think before you post.  Is this something I would want my grandmother or preacher to see? 

2.  Never post in anger.  You WILL REGRET a post made in anger at some point in your life.

3.   Remember everything you post is public information.   Whatever you put out there is beyond your control once it is sent. 

4.  What you post will affect your future, whether in the academic or career world.  Employers are using your posts to determine if you are the type person they want working for them as well.

5.  You are establishing your identity though social media.  How you talk, how you are dressed in pictures, what you send in SnapChats, all of these areas, fairly or unfairly, define who you are to many people who don’t truly know you, but think they do by how you represent yourself in social media.

From a purely spiritual stand point, I have been disappointed many times by what I have seen from youth group members at the church where I minister, FCA members, campers from the church camp where I Dean and just young people I thought I knew, but their social media profile was much different than how they represented themselves to me.  If you call yourself a Christian, you are representing  your church and your Lord.  Even on social media.

References:

National Associaton for Colege Admission Counselors. (2009). Social Media: Considerations and Implications in College Admission. Research to Practice .

Singer, N. (2013, November 9). They Loved Your G.P.A. Then They Saw Your Tweets. New York Times .