NCAA to Examine Pregnancy Policy

[TexasTerror]

A very serious subject matter. I'd be very interested to see how the NCAA handles this. Thoughts on how the NCAA should handle this? Should colleges have the powers to cut a player's scholarship if they are pregnant or should it be treated like a 'medical redshirt' year?
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NCAA To Examine Pregnancy Policies
May 19, 2007

The NCAA's committee on women's athletics will review its rules on pregnancy at a July meeting after recent reports of expectant athletes being threatened with loss of scholarships.

"We want to act judiciously here," said Janet Kittell, the committee's leader. "I don't think it calls for emergency legislation, but I think it calls for a thorough discussion and thoughtful response."

A track athlete at Memphis said she lost her scholarship after becoming pregnant and a student athlete at Clemson said she had an abortion to stay in school. Female athletes at both schools said they had to sign documents acknowledging scholarships could be lost because of pregnancy.

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-innews0519.artmay19,0,3982755.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports

[Eyes of Old Main]

I think they should treat it like a Family Medical Leave. If the student can't participate in their sport, then they can choose to stay in school at their expense or withdraw and return with a guaranteed scholarship when they return.

That probably is harsh, but redshirts are for students injured while participating in their sport, but students who make the choice to get pregnant. I wouldn't want a female player to lose her scholarship in the long term, but there is no reason a school should be forced to pay for a scholarship for a student that can not compete in the sport she signed to play when the reason for the absence is of her choosing.

And don't tell me that getting pregnant was not of her choosing unless she was raped. If she chose to have sex, she chose to take on the risk of getting pregnant.

[PantherRob82]

Saw this on my lunch the other day. Outside the Lines was doing a story. Caught bits and pieces. Some of the schools seemed pretty guilty.

[NoCoDanny]

It's women's sports, who ****ing cares outside the Dakotas?

[walliver]

I know there are a lot of "expectant fathers" playing NCAA scholarship athletics, but I don't think the NCAA should pass any type of "legislation" on this issue. When athletes sign a scholarship agreement with a school, they are committing themselves to participate every year. If an athlete is unable to participate for any reason (other than a sport-related injury), the school should be able to terminate the scholarship (or continue it if the school so chooses). It should be left up to the individual school.

Unfortunately, I expect the NCAA to come up with some ridiculous policy. On the other hand, I guess this proves that not all female athletes are lesbian.:D

[dbackjon]

It's women's sports, who ****ing cares outside the Dakotas?

You'd be suprised...

Women's basketball is HUGE in places like TN, CT, etc. Softball is big in many areas as well.

[AppGuy04]

I know there are a lot of "expectant fathers" playing NCAA scholarship athletics, but I don't think the NCAA should pass any type of "legislation" on this issue. When athletes sign a scholarship agreement with a school, they are committing themselves to participate every year. If an athlete is unable to participate for any reason (other than a sport-related injury), the school should be able to terminate the scholarship (or continue it if the school so chooses). It should be left up to the individual school.

Unfortunately, I expect the NCAA to come up with some ridiculous policy. On the other hand, I guess this proves that not all female athletes are lesbian.:D

I agree, if you sign to play a scholarship sport then thats what you should be doing. Yes we all know accidents happen.

If an athlete in any other sport couldn't participate, they would lose their scholarship. I see this as no different. They take a year off, have the kid, then come back and play next year

[SU Jag]

This is an issue that hits VERY close to home for me!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Interesting concern. I'd have to think that it has to be treated like any other "medical condition" (I hate to use those words, but they really do apply when it comes to this) that occurs outside the field of play. For example, say a football player broke his hip in a car accident, meaning he could possibly never play football again. Should his scholarship be revoked? Like in the case of a pregnancy, the athlete has a "life-altering medical condition" that prevents him from doing what the school is expecting him to do (play sports).

Basically, though, anyone who gets pregnant (or a male athlete who has a "life-altering medical condition") should have their scholarships honored.

How come the schools listed here in the article don't surprise me? Memphis and Clemson... a culture of dropped scholarships and not caring about athletes? Shocking! xrolleyesx


A track athlete at Memphis said she lost her scholarship after becoming pregnant and a student athlete at Clemson said she had an abortion to stay in school. Female athletes at both schools said they had to sign documents acknowledging scholarships could be lost because of pregnancy.

[patssle]

injuries are not by choice. pregnancy is.

[SU Jag]

injuries are not by choice. pregnancy is.

Not true!

[walliver]

Interesting concern. I'd have to think that it has to be treated like any other "medical condition" (I hate to use those words, but they really do apply when it comes to this) that occurs outside the field of play. For example, say a football player broke his hip in a car accident, meaning he could possibly never play football again. Should his scholarship be revoked? Like in the case of a pregnancy, the athlete has a "life-altering medical condition" that prevents him from doing what the school is expecting him to do (play sports).

Basically, though, anyone who gets pregnant (or a male athlete who has a "life-altering medical condition") should have their scholarships honored.

How come the schools listed here in the article don't surprise me? Memphis and Clemson... a culture of dropped scholarships and not caring about athletes? Shocking! xrolleyesx

What about a male athlete who breaks his hip in a car accident while driving drunk?

Accidents happen, condoms leak, the pill has a 1-2% failure rate per year, patches fall off, but pregnancy is to a great extent avoidable. What to do should be left up to the individual schools (and probably decided on a case-by-case basis).

[patssle]

Not true!

really? and besides rape, when is sex not a choice?

[patssle]

pregnancy is to a great extent avoidable

pregnancy is 100% avoidable. if your on a scholarship, meaning my money is paying for your education, then you shouldn't do things that puts your performance in jeopardy. if you do, then thats your fault.

[jstate83]

It's women's sports, who ****ing cares outside the Dakotas?

And one of the women that didn't have her face shown said she had 2 abortions since ariving on campus.

When do personal responsibility come in.

A torn ACL, MEN/WOMEN, on the field of play is legit.

But until I see a woman get pregnant running the 100 meter dash or going in for a layup, I ain't buying this.
Especially since this can be avoided by not engaging in risky behavior while trying to live up to the schollie contract.

How long do a college have to pay for "daycare".
What if a woman get's "knocked up" her freshman or sophmore year.
Have that kid and get's pregnant again.

Is the school still responsiable for holding that schollie open for a person that has not touched the floor yet?
Harsh................But this "Not my fault" gotta stop somewhere.

[SU Jag]

And one of the women that didn't have her face shown said she had 2 abortions since ariving on campus.

When do personal responsibility come in.

A torn ACL, MEN/WOMEN, on the field of play is legit.

But until I see a woman get pregnant running the 100 meter dash or going in for a layup, I ain't buying this.
Especially since this can be avoided by not engaging in risky behavior while trying to live up to the schollie contract.

How long do a college have to pay for "daycare".
What if a woman get's "knocked up" her freshman or sophmore year.
Have that kid and get's pregnant again.

Is the school still responsiable for holding that schollie open for a person that has not touched the floor yet?
Harsh................But this "Not my fault" gotta stop somewhere.


Most college parents leave their children at home. I'll say about 1/3 of our team were parents and its about the same at any other school. Their were alot of females who had kids also but from what I saw it didnt effect the way that the played.

[andy7171]

Most college parents leave their children at home. I'll say about 1/3 of our team were parents and its about the same at any other school. Their were alot of females who had kids also but from what I saw it didnt effect the way that the played.
A third seems kinda high. I mean I know 3-4 guy from my teams who had kids, but 3-4 out of 100. You're talking 33 players on any given team?
I'm not buying it.

[SU Jag]

A third seems kinda high. I mean I know 3-4 guy from my teams who had kids, but 3-4 out of 100. You're talking 33 players on any given team?
I'm not buying it.


It was over 20, you gotta think. I team is only a samlple of the society that we live in, whatever happens in society more usually happens in the lives of student athletes.

[SU Jag]

A third seems kinda high. I mean I know 3-4 guy from my teams who had kids, but 3-4 out of 100. You're talking 33 players on any given team?
I'm not buying it.


How long ago was that though?

[andy7171]

How long ago was that though?
Early 90's
89-93

Things can't have changed that much??xconfusedx

[SU Jag]

Early 90's
89-93

Things can't have changed that much??xconfusedx

Yeah, they have. Back when my dad played at SU from 77-80, it would have been very unlikely that we would even be having this discussion. My daughter was born during my senior year, my fiance' was a junior track athlete at LSU at the time.

[Eyes of Old Main]

I'm still a big proponenet of personal responsibility. That being said, my FMLA comparison is still best I think. Let them take the year off or pay their own way, then give them their scholarship back when they return the next year. That way athletic funds aren't supporting pregnant students, but no pregnant student is defied her ability to return, finish her education and play her sport.

[Mr. C]

But until I see a woman get pregnant running the 100 meter dash or going in for a layup, I ain't buying this.


While I was at the Los Angeles Times from 1991-93, one of my fellow writers wrote a story on an all-conference softball pitcher at Cal State Northridge who had HIDDEN her pregnancy through an entire season. Here she was competing while in the midst of a late-term pregnancy, putting her's and her baby's health at risk. The main reason she was hiding the pregnancy from everyone was she didn't want to lose her scholarship. I can't inmagine what would have happened to her if she had gotten hit by a line drive, or something like that. Teammates and coaches wondered why her performance had fallen off from the previous year, but none of them suspected why.