Don’t blame tutition increases on athletics

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 09 November 2010 16:09

It takes more than chump change to get a college education. Every year, parents have to reach deeper into their pockets to pay for the cost of tuition and fees.

There’s a misconception that tuition climbs at universities, in part, because of athletics. Rising tuition has little, if anything, to do with what universities spend on athletics, if that’s any consolation.

Granted, college students who choose to attend sporting events might have to dig deeper into their pockets, but what’s a little extra money to support their team?

There aren’t many careers in a down economy that are recession-proof, but coaching at the Division 1 level might be one of them.

So how are athletic departments seemingly able to thrive in the midst of...

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Concussions: Are we using our heads?

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 26 October 2010 16:59

Statistics can be mind-numbing. Some, though, are downright scary.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the annual incidence of football-related concussion in the United States is estimated at 300,000, and nearly 45,000 football-related head injuries were serious enough to be treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009.

Researchers at the Nation­wide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and Ohio State University reported that 15.8 percent of football players sustaining a concussion severe enough to cause loss of consciousness returned to play the same day.

Lisa Bakhos, an ER physician in Neptune, N.J., said that although awareness has increased, many parents, coaches and players still don’t...

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Pros have problems, too

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 12 October 2010 15:16

It’s inevitable. Kids who love sports can’t help but dream about becoming a professional athlete. Never mind that the dream is usually unrealistic. Hope springs eternal when you’re young.

I don’t think the ridiculous money paid to athletes is necessarily the primary motivation for someone 10 to 12 years old. It’s more about the fame and glory associated with playing a game before thousands of fans in the best stadiums in the world. What’s not to like about fame and fortune?

In reality, fantasy has a nasty habit of turning into reality. Of the athletes who make it to prime time on the stage of stardom, many find that stardom is nothing more than fools’ gold.

Elite athletes marry at about the same rate (73 percent) as...

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Win our lose, keep your perspective

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 28 September 2010 16:16

Let me state up front that I’ve never been a good loser. Whether playing checkers, Ping-Pong or a game of “HORSE” on the basketball court, I played to win.

I also was a lousy loser when my favorite college or pro teams lost big games. As a kid, I can remember tears running down my face after watching my team lose a football bowl game.

On the plus side, I don’t recall throwing something and breaking the TV or losing friends over a game of Ping-Pong. Still, losing hurt… a lot.

Officiating basketball is challenging because no one is perfect, and I hate mistakes, especially mine.

As an official, I don’t experience the same emotions as players and coaches who find themselves on the winning or losing side of the scoreboard...

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