Athletes & Papers

Athletics and papers are two nouns, put politely, have never been my “my cup of tea.” In regards to athletics, well besides my terrific sideline cheerleading skills, eye-hand coordination and ball skills were not included in my genetic makeup.  And as for, papers, I am the first to admit that research, evaluation and grammar have been enlightening for me. The dreaded paper process has always been a slow and challenging one. Therefore, this literature review on the career development process of student athletes was for me, in simple terms, challenging. Nevertheless, after reading Granello (2001) and editing other student’s literature reviews, I came to the realization that I and my other fellow SCCN: 645 peers are not alone in this graduate school “paper writing agony.”

Granello was right, my undergraduate and previous training had taken place in the three typical areas: “conducting a library search, learning to read and understand research and the writing in APA” (Granello, 2001, p. 292). In other words, I have taken many classes and attended conferences in the library on how to properly search for relevant peer-reviewed articles in PsychInfo’s database. I took a course on research methods, in which I learned “how to read, summarize and understand research,” (Granello, 2001, p. 292).  My professor, Dr. Blincoe, was the best of the best and somehow managed for APA format, proper in-text citations, and the specific writing style to become encrypted in my brain. Dr. Blincoe trained us that if we were ever in question to “check The APA manual, for it was always right.” The APA Manual back then and still is today, my best friend. 

After reviewing my classmates’ literature reviews, I came to the realization of one thing; it is not that we as, graduate students, do not want to adequately synthesis, evaluate, and deliver cognitively advanced literature reviews; it is that we do not how. But as Granello (2001) put correctly, the APA Manual just outlines the specifics and minor details of writing and format.  The manual never adequately trained me or provided me with ways on how to improve my complexity of writing. However, I believe our education system and professor’s expectations are off the hook on this one. I blame our best friend and the creators of The American Psychological Manual.

Literature reviews are not easy.  They require, as Bloom’s Taxonomy outlined, a comprehensive, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of research (Granello, 2001, p. 292).  We as graduate students need some help in the lengthy progression to the evaluation stage. Unfortunately Dr. Blincoe, we have checked the APA (multiple times), and the answer is not there. Maybe Bloom can help? 

Granello, D., H. (2001). Promoting cognitive complexity in graduate student written work: Using

Bloom’s Taxonomy as a pedagogical tool to improve literature reviews. Journal of Counselor Education and Supervision, 40, 292-307.