Life
Spelman College choosing wellness and fitness ending sports program
But athletics are a part of the experience for only the tiny percentage of students who participate directly. According to the NCAA, there are about 400,000 student-athletes nationwide, but there are 18.6 million undergraduates.
The median Division 1 athletic program, including those without football, is losing about US$10 million annually, according to NCAA figures.
At programs like Spelman, the losses are less severe but expenses are rising rapidly. For Division III schools with football programs, expenses from athletics have nearly doubled since 2004 to US$2.9 million for the median school. At schools without football, such as Spelman, costs have more than doubled to about US$1.4 million annually.
At Spelman, the wellness initiative includes spending money to help renovate the school’s Read Hall, which was built in the 1950s, to make it a state-of-the-art fitness facility, with expanded hours and programs.
“We are trying to meet students where they are in terms of their interest, but also helping them understand that the elements of wellness … are the kinds of things that are going to help them avoid the kinds of illnesses that are killing African-American women far too early,” Tatum said.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press
