Should colleges offer a "major in sports," as Sally Jenkins proposes in @PostSports? https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/07/college-sports-major/ I'm surprised this column has gotten this much attention; the idea comes around every 5-10 years. 1/7

She bases her column on a three-year-old book chapter on the remarkable learning experience offered by sports, written by Drew Hyland, an emeritus professor at @trinitycollege: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/j.ctvbj7gdq.5.pdf 2/7

Hyland points out that the best coaches are among the best teachers on campus, and that what can be learned in sport is often more powerful than any class. As a former student-athlete and college sports reporter turned college professor, I absolutely agree. 3/7

But neither Hyland nor Jenkins acknowledge the history of American college sport: it began as a student activity (often alumni-run) and was taken over by administrators. It was never organized as an educational venture (though many coaches have made it such for their teams). 4/7

As a policy, a "sports performance major" is a bad idea on many levels. Big-time coaches would not allow it to be rigorous enough, and such a tiny handful of athletes go pro that it would not provide a meaningful experience for the vast majority. 5/7

But what Hyland really argues for is valuing the educational experience of competing for college teams. Also, he implies, it's well worth evaluating how meaningful athletes and other students find their educational experiences to be. 6/7

And as Hyland points out, empowering athletes to share their experiences with other students and participate in campus conversations--particularly in the current context--is something everyone on campuses should be trying to do. 7/7