Power 5 University Football Athletics: Consider Offering Social Work as a Degree Plan for Athletes

Abstract

The profession of social work is meaningful – creating agents of change who are not afraid to challenge injustices while developing better communities. As activists, social workers promoted the need for athletes to be recognized as vulnerable due to their unique and definable identity and specific needs. Sport social work continues to expand, now reaching into creating practicum field placements for social work students in athletic departments. This article asks the most prominent universities to consider empowering their football athletes to complete a social work degree. Social work is highly versatile and can be tailored to help the student-athlete who has a goal of opening a non-profit, making policies, or becoming a licensed clinician. Furthermore, this article will discuss equipping student-athletes to help each other and their communities by attaining a social work degree.