Flight School is Boston College Athletics’ new program for student-athletes. The program is meant to serve as a means for student-athletes to prepare for post-graduate careers, such as attending graduate school, finding a job, or playing their sport professionally. By connecting student-athletes with a network of alumni and professional mentors, Flight School attempts to make entry into the post-grad world as painless as possible.
Two years ago, Director of Athletics Brad Bates set a goal for 70 percent of student-athletes to have post-grad plans. After meeting this goal, he raised it to 80 percent for the next year. Now, as the success of the program builds, the initiative has been formalized into the Flight School program. This year, the goal of the program is for 90 percent of student-athletes to have concrete plans for life after graduation. The early success of these attempts, as evidenced by the meeting of high goals, is an indication of the strong promise shown by the Flight School program. By creating Flight School and developing a formal program from the earlier goals, this initiative is better prepared to deal with the task of helping student-athletes prepare for their futures.
BC athletes commit themselves year-round to their sport. Sports programs demand much from athletes and are also a part of the school’s attraction for incoming students. Student-athletes devote a great deal of time and effort to practices, workouts, and games, which detract from other aspects of college life. It is good to see the Athletic Department supporting the athletes who work constantly toward its betterment. The immediate goal of athletic success can easily be the greatest focus when it comes to working with student-athletes. Athletic departments could view their athletes as solely resources for athletic success. The Athletic Department’s efforts toward promoting a program that focuses instead on the future of these students, the lives that await after sports, is a worthwhile endeavor. It demonstrates a true interest in the well-being of the student-athletes at BC.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey
