This is an interesting read. I put in the links to the schools.
Online Education Scores
Big With Sports Pros
Online learning is not only convenient for traveling professionals or working moms. Even Shaquille O'Neal is doing it! That's because the Miami Heat NBA giant recognizes the importance of education, and that basketball will not be his career forever. In fact, he hopes to go into law enforcement someday after earning his master's degree in criminal justice through the University of Phoenix.
"I just want to do it the right way, like everybody else, rather than be a famous figurehead who gets a job because he is a basketball player," Shaq said at his July 2004 press conference, when he was introduced as a Miami Heat player. For him, the right way includes taking a combination of on-site and online courses.
"I want to go to the Police Academy. I want to actually go out and make a couple of arrests and I want to go undercover," he added.
And he's not the only academic athlete -- Washington Wizards player Kwame Brown enrolled in an online business course after going to the NBA straight from Glynn Academy High School, where he was an honors student. "I want to understand my money," Brown told The Washington Times. "More importantly, you gain respect [with an education]. [With] 'Dr.' in front of your name, you can go a lot further."
Competitive, on the Field and Off
That sentiment is shared by Bobby Newcombe, a former University of Nebraska football star, who enrolled in an online master's in business administration program at the University of Phoenix, at the same time he was beginning his NFL career. Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2001, Bobby played out the season with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens while he schooled online.
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'Play Ball' and Take an Online Class: Choose from big-league online programs here. Become an MVP: An MBA will get you there. "I'm a competitive person, so it's important for me to stay competitive, as an athlete and in business, and academics help you do that," says the 25-year-old, who's currently pursuing his doctorate in management, organizational leadership.
After ending his two-year professional football career, Bobby's positive online educational experience has springboarded him into his current career as an enrollment manager for the University of Phoenix. There, he is able to help athletes like himself, as well as others, further their education and achieve their goals. "Education has positively impacted my life and broadened my horizons," he says, adding that he's happy to be able to invite others to share in that experience.
Penn State's Athletic Alums
Pennsylvania State University's World Campus has also served athletes in their educational pursuits in recent years. The list includes Sasha Cohen, the 20-year-old figure-skating sensation. For her, online learning fit in perfectly with the demanding training schedule of a skater. She was able to study nutrition online through Penn State's World Campus last year. "When I researched this program I realized that working at my own pace through correspondence was exactly what I was looking for," she says.
The World Campus has also been the educational arena for other ice-bound pros, including NHL star Adam Graves, who pursued his associate degree in letters, arts and science in 2003.
"When you play professional sports, you have time to yourself at odd hours," Graves explains. "My wife has a degree, and I'd like to finish so that we can push our children to do the same."
Not only has eLearning penetrated the court, field, and rink, but it's made its way around the baseball diamond, too. MLB pitcher Al Leiter, who enrolled at Penn State in 1990, finished his associate degree via Penn State's World Campus in the summer of 1997.
The question on your mind may be why would successful pro athletes like these even need to continue their educations? Perhaps it's part of their competitive nature, one that's used to training and constant self-improvement. Or, maybe Newcombe sums it up best: "Education is a means for something else -- whether it's developing yourself to better serve people, to support your family, or for the marketability. It expands your mindset and allows you to do more things."
by Dawn Papandrea
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