Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Day 106: National Student Athlete Day


National Student Athlete Day, a program of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS), has been celebrated annually on April 6 since 1987. National Student Athlete Day celebrates the outstanding achievements of high school and college student-athletes who have excelled in academics (3.0 GPA or above) and athletics while having made significant contributions to their schools and communities.

Today, campuses around the country will observe National Student Athlete Day for the 14th consecutive year. Some in college sports say the need is growing to encourage student athletes to keep their eyes on their studies as well as on the ball, especially African American student athletes.

Statistics show that the graduation rate for Black student athletes of both genders continues to lag behind their peers. The trend is particularly pronounced in basketball, where the gap in graduation rates between Black female athletes and their White peers is widening.

Though the academic performance of Black student athletes lags behind others, they are graduating at a rate exceeding that of Black students who do not compete in sports. This supports the view that athletics can be an important instrument through which the overall academic performance of Black students can be improved.

Right To Play is committed to every child’s right to play. They give children a chance to become constructive participants in society, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, social background or religion. Through games and sports, they help create social change in communities affected by war, poverty and disease. 

A team of top athletes from more than 40 countries supports Right to Play. As role models, these athletes inspire children and raise awareness about Right To Play internationally. Their aim is to engage key decision-makers from the development, sport, business, media and government sectors and further ensure every child benefits from the positive power of sport and play.

Each week, more than 688,000 children take part in regular sport and play activities and a combined total of more than 1 million children attend regular programming and special sports events and festivals. This is made possible by more than 15,000 local Coaches, Teachers and Leaders.

Donation $5

To support Right to Play, please visit: http://www.righttoplay.com/

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