About The Y Formation

CAPITAL “Y” FORMATION

At the college level, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules and regulations concerning the career vision focus formation for scholar athletes takes the form of a “Y”. The athletes’ career vision focus starts out a straight pathway which is reflected by the base of the “Y”. Then the athletes’ career vision focus pathway divides at the fork in the “Y”. On one side of the “Y”, is an athletic career vision focus pathway, and on the other side of the “Y” is an academic major pathway. This adaptation and utilization of the “Y” career vision focus formation in support of scholar athletes at the college level has proven over time to be a winning strategy.

In comparison, at the middle and high school levels, the State Middle School Athletic Associations and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA), career vision focus formation for athletes takes the form of an “l”. This pathway represents a singular sports only, career vision focus “l” formation from the bottom base pathway entrance to the terminal exit at the top. As a critical pillar of career vision focus success for scholar athletes, this formation application fails to support student success because it does not divide to include a mandated declaration for an academic pathway option as in the “Y” fork in the road formation.

Clarification of the significance of addressing this problem that negatively impacts secondary and aspiring college scholar athletes can be realized by reviewing research by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that was published on their website under the title, “Probability of Competing Beyond High School”. In this research, the number of student athletes who advance to the next level in the sports competition career vision focus pathway drops off significantly. Also published on their website under the title, “Estimated Probability of Competing in College Athletics” is a complete list of all sports indicating high school to NCAA participant percentages. This document also reveals that the significant drop off effect is consistent across the board in all areas of the sports competition career vision focus pathway. This research clearly identifies a defined “l” formation sports career vision focus pathway structure in middle and high school athletic programs that is devastating to the career vision focus dreams and aspirations of millions of scholar athletes. NCAA research presents an alarming disparity that has always existed between the number of student athletes in secondary education with confidence in their expectations of moving on to college and professional athletics careers and the reality of the probability of ever competing at the professional athletics level.

The NCAA research retraced to a point of origin of the problem reveals the application and utilization of the outdated, “l” formation sports career vision focus pathway. The State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA current rules or regulations fail to adequately support the academic career vision focus of middle and high school athletes. Instead of the single career vision focus pathway “I” formation, in middle and high school athletics, the career vision focus “Y” formation must be mandated for all scholar athletes. The solution is simple. The State Middle School Athletic Associations and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA) implements rules and regulations requiring all middle and high school athletes to declare an academic college or technical school career vision focus pathway selection in order to participate in sports. This requirement at the middle and high school level would mirror the current requirement of NCAA at the college level. The end result of this action is that student athletes are engaged early in the middle and high school years with the process of making a wise and sound career vision focus selection decision. This “Y” formation design is the aspect of an academic career vision focus pathway which will aid them in career success in the event that they are included in the majority of scholar athletes for which the college or professional career athletic aspirations does not materialize.

In reality, under the “l” career vision focus formation, millions of students competing in athletics at the middle school level not included in the high school statistics are also negatively impacted. They can also be added to the numbers of millions of high school participants indicated in the survey. Published statistical data from the survey compiled by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is available to all members of the State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA. This data indicates that the estimated probability of only 6.9% of the millions of scholar- athletes will make the transition from high school to the college level in football. These statistics indicate that current NFSHSA rules and regulations design characteristics governing student athletics career vision focus pathway generates a yearly sports career vision focus dreams and aspirations “die off” effect for 93.1% of students with college or professional athletic career vision focus aspirations as they realize that they will not reach their goal.

Graduation Impact – Transition vs. Termination

Post-graduation impact of career vision focus formation influence by athletic associations differs significantly between the secondary level State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA, and post-secondary level NCAA. At the secondary education level graduation, the influence and impact for scholar athletes under the rules and regulations of the State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA terminates for the 93.1% majority of scholar athletes not transitioning to the collegiate sports level. This is the specific result of the adaptation and utilization of the “l” career vision focus formation by State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA that terminates by design at graduation. The former 93.1% scholar athletes, previously but no longer under the influence of State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA are now left alone and on their own.

At the point of post secondary education and college level graduation, transition occurs for all of scholar athletes under the rules and regulations of the influence and impact of the NCAA. This is the result of the adoption of the “Y” formation designed to enhance support of the career vision focus of scholar-athletes at the collegiate level. One branch of the career vision focus pathway of the “Y” formation provides for those scholar athletes to advance toward the professional athlete ranks to successfully transition to that pathway. The other branch of the “Y” formation provides for those scholar athletes not advancing to the professional athlete ranks to successfully transition to the prepared option academic major career pathways. The “Y” career vision focus formation adopted and utilized by NCAA transitions by design at graduation to benefit 100% of the scholar athletes.

NCAA research also indicates that of those competing at the college level, the probability of advancing to competing at the professional level is that only 1.6% will compete as a major professional athlete. The above referenced widely published statistical data indicates that there are a substantial number of self-motivated middle and high school students listed on sports team rosters, whose alternative career vision focus aspirations and efforts are not currently adequately addressed by the NFSHSA. Every time that a scholar athlete steps onto a sports field, track, or a court representing a team or school, we are all aware of the risk of temporary or life-changing injures, loss of life, and loss of potential career options. Included in those risks are the millions of students indicated as the 93.1% in the estimated probability of high school students who will not make the transition from high school to the college level in football. Reviewing the research in other areas of sports including basketball, and baseball has similar statistical results. When the career vision focus dreams and aspirations of the 93.1% of student athletes die, what is the magnitude of the level of disruption across all areas in education and workforce development in secondary and post-secondary education? Also to be considered is the negative behavior impact which contributes to bullying in our schools, juvenile crime and juvenile incarceration. This is a direct result, specifically of the omission of State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA updated rules and regulations requirements for “Y” formation, dual enrollment career vision focus declaration indicated above.

In reference to NCAA regulations at the college level, there is a “Y” career vision focus formation eligibility requirement thread that runs through all college athletics programs. This eligibility requirement thread ensures that all scholar athletes have a dual career vision focus declaration in the form of a selected academic college major in addition to their sports athletic career vision focus. The major concern for scholar athletes occurs prior to college under the authority and regulations of the NFSHSA, and approximately fifty individual State High Schools Associations.

In reference to regulations of the NFSHSA and approximately fifty individual State High Schools Associations regulations at the middle and high schools, there is no “Y” career vision focus formation. There is no dual athletic-academic career vision focus declaration eligibility requirement thread that runs through all middle and high school’s athletic programs. The need to create a dual athletic-academic career vision focus declaration eligibility requirement thread is critical. The absence of the “Y” career vision focus formation ensures that 93.1% all scholar athletes referenced in the NCAA research, will not have a mandated dual athletic-academic college or technical career vision focus declaration requirement. A mandated non-athletic career vision focus selection declaration in addition to their sports athletic career vision focus is currently nonexistent.

As previously stated, a highly effective solution to the above situation is for State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA to implement a “Y “career vision focus formation, modified dual enrollment career vision focus selection declaration requirement for middle and high school athletic programs. This modified version of the Dual Enrollment process in education requires an additional column to be added to all sports team rosters to indicate the non-professional athletic career vision focus selections declaration of scholar athletes. Although this solution is highly achievable, there is a need for leadership sources to be identified at the forefront of this issue for the State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA and approximately fifty individual State High Schools Associations to champion this cause. There is a critical need for individuals, agencies and organizations to stand in the gap for a “Y” career vision focus formation on behalf of scholar athletes across the nation.

In the “Y” career vision focus formation, as a result of participating in dual career vision focus selection declaration in middle school and high school, there are many benefits in addition to accumulating college credits before graduation. As indicated above, currently at the college level the requirement for all scholar athletes to have a “Y “ career vision focus formation, dual career vision focus already exist. During the middle and high school years is the perfect time in the educational process when scholar athletes should become familiar with the elements of the questions, options, and the process involved in making a sound career vision focus selection decision.

Currently, in the “l” formation, there is no requirement for scholar athletes to have a specific academic career vision field focus declaration in secondary education. Therefore, scholar athletes encounter a shocking reality in the transition from high school sports to college sports. Those student athletes find that they are often as much as five years behind students who selected a non-athletic, all academic career vision focus and pursued that pathway as early as middle school.

Implementation of the “Y” career vision focus formation strategy is a low cost, huge benefit initiative for State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA which does not conflict with other educational requirements or initiatives. This initiative provides an opportunity for State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA to close the career vision focus formation gap for scholar athletes. Also, it is an opportunity for other persons of influence to “pay it forward” for scholar-athletes by lending their voices in support of a capital “Y” career vision focus formation strategy that could significantly improve educational outcomes in America. The achievement of inclusion of this one career vision focus declaration change in State Middle School Athletic Associations and NFSHSA rules and regulations will be one of the most significant historical impacts in education and athletics in our generation. By implementing this small but important change at the middle and high school levels now, we can ensure that Americans are prepared to fill the employment needs of the future.