NATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE DAY
National STUDENT-Athlete Day (NSAD), observed annually on April 6th, provides an opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of student-athletes.
#StudentAthleteDay
In the United States, nearly 8 million student-athletes compete in team and individual sports. More than 500,000 will carry their career on to the college level. Not only do they succeed in athletic programs such as track and field, baseball, volleyball, and lacrosse, but they excel academically, too. Additionally, the day recognizes student-athletes who have a positive impact on their communities while maintaining and earning GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
Many student-athletes take on roles as leaders in their community and serve as role models for others. Others overcome adversity and provide exemplary representations of achievement. The program encourages families, schools, and communities to support their STUDENT-athletes in their endeavors. Cheer them on both on and off the court and field. Support them in their higher goals and aspirations.
HOW TO OBSERVE STUDENT-ATHLETE DAY
- Support your student-athletes.
- Nominate someone you know for the STUDENT-Athlete award.
- Make sure your athletes are getting enough rest and eating right.
- When they’re at home, make sure they are familiar with all their academic resources.
- Teach them how to cope with stress and the importance of injury care. Helping them to balance school, practice and a social life can become difficult, but not impossible.
- Keep an open line of communication between you and your student-athlete.
- Information and tools like these will help them as they pursue a college career. Once they advance to the college level it will be even more important that they access all the tools and resources available to them.
- As a student-athlete, share your story. Give a student-athlete you know a shout out using #StudentAthleteDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE DAY HISTORY
The Institute for Sport & Social Justice (formerly known as the National Consortium for Academics & Sports) created National STUDENT-Athlete Day, in 1987, to honor the outstanding achievements of high school and college student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to their schools and communities. Since its inception, more than 4.4 million student-athletes have been honored and celebration events take place on campuses nationwide each year.
Student-Athlete FAQ
Q. Are there benefits to being a student-athlete?
A. Student-athletes develop teamwork, responsibility, organizational skills, and physical endurance. These skills and habits follow them into their future careers. There are also challenges to being a student-athlete, many of which help develop the skills mentioned above.
Q. Do student-athletes travel a lot?
A. Travel is often required of student-athletes though some sports require more travel than others.
Q. Are student athletes required to achieve good grades?
A. Yes and sometimes a student athlete may have to choose between their education and athletics. Balance school and sports has always been challenging and choosing what is best for the student is important.
April 6th Celebrated History
1896
Greece hosts the first modern Olympics.
1909
Explorer Robert E. Peary and his team reach the North Pole for the first time.
1938
Dr. Roy Plunket accidentally discovers polytetrafluoroethylene while working with his assistant in a lab at E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. The discovery leads to the invention of Teflon.
1947
The Grand Ballroom of Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City hosted the first Tony Awards presentation. Named for the actress and director who co-founded the American Theatre Wing and formally known as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, the presentations included 11 awards and several big names.
April 6th Celebrated Birthdays
Rose Schneiderman – 1882
During her lifetime, Rose Schneiderman became a voice for women in the garment district of New York City. She held many leadership roles and was influential in the labor movement as the first woman to hold national office. Schneiderman was also a co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and served under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s the National Recover Administration’s Labor Advisory Board.
James Watson – 1928
In 1962, the molecular biologist along with Maurice Wilkins and Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries of the molecular structure of DNA.” Watson co-authored a paper in 1953 that proposed the double helix we’re familiar with today.
Merle Haggard – 1937
The legendary country music singer-songwriter is known for some of country music’s classics such as “Mama Tried,” “Today I Started Loving You Again,” and “Workin’ Man Blues.”
Notable Mentions
Butch Cassidy – 1866
Louis Raemaekers – 1869
Billy Dee Williams – 1937