Where the Field Meets the Classroom: How Athletics Build Student Identities and Shape Campuses
Today’s higher education institutions are more than a set of classrooms. They aim to educate the whole person by offering resources beyond academics that encourage students to be competitive in their professional and personal lives. When it comes to college athletics programs, this could not ring truer. The lessons these students learn stay with them long after they leave the stadium.
Participating in a university athletic program nurtures skills such as teamwork, commitment, dedication and discipline. These traits contribute to a well-rounded education that prepares students for the future. The support student-athletes receive through scholarships and financial aid is evidence of the commitment institutions have to such programs.
Some higher education institutions are using athletics as an avenue to providing international opportunities for students. In the past decade, I’ve seen universities around the world launch efforts to expand the global presence of their athletic programs.
One example of that effort was in 2012, when the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Monterrey Tech), submitted a bid to become the first Mexican university in the NCAA. However, after technical complications in the organization’s mandate, the request was denied. Simon Fraser University from Burnaby, British Columbia, launched a campaign of their own that would later make them the first international member of the NCAA after winning entry to Division II and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
In 2018, aiming to elevate its athletic programs to international standards, my university — CETYS University in Baja California, Mexico — played a key role in lobbying for a proposal, which was later approved, at the NCAA Division II. This proposal would go on to open the door for Mexican universities accredited in the United States to pursue membership within conferences under the NCAA governing board.
For CETYS, creating paths for Mexican Universities to compete in international college athletics goes beyond the scoreboard. At the forefront is the value added to every student’s education.
Creating a new experience that no other Mexican institution has been exposed to not only benefits CETYS students but also impacts students across Mexico. Of course, a Mexican university can play one or two international exhibition games a year, but nothing compares to playing an entire season with U.S.-based teams. It furthers the need for educating talented athletes and good citizens — on and off the field.
By developing professionals that are dedicated to and motivated by others, we also create future leaders that understand how to handle success while also persevering through failure and hardship. Athletes learn the critical skill of teamwork and collaboration while also gaining key soft skills that will help them thrive in the future as engineers, teachers, lawyers or any other profession they pursue.
At CETYS, I’ve seen how competing and collaborating with U.S. institutions challenges our standards and our skills, while providing a similar learning experience for U.S. student-athletes. It also showcases the talent at Mexican universities on the international stage.
And while reaching a point of full integration between Mexican and American athletic and academic programs has a long ways to go, CETYS has made progress towards that goal by launching a series of friendly matches against teams like Humboldt State University in American football; Azusa Pacific University and Sonoma State University in baseball; and Cal Poly Pomona in women’s basketball, among others. These experiences have built cross-border trust and honed strategic thinking within our athletic teams while facilitating a cultural exchange among our partner universities abroad.
In 2019, at CETYS we are continuing to raise the quality of our programs through increased investment in our athletic facilities and teams, and expanding athletic opportunities for our students. Through this growth, the university is seeking to become a member of the North American-focused National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA), which hosts 25 national championships among higher education institutions similar to CETYS.
Athletic programs foster identity, tradition and pride at universities. They encourage an entire campus to come together, promoting a unified voice and bolstering the reputation of an institution. I see this every day at CETYS and the other campuses I’m lucky to visit. Allowing students to compete under different standards challenges them to understand new international perspectives, elevating their individual skills and their team’s competitiveness, and ultimately enriching their education.
Enrique Lechuga is Athletic Director of CETYS University
