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Karin Simonian

Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin

WR 13300

8 November 2011


Social Networking: All Student Athletes Should Be Allowed to Have Their Own Social
Networking Accounts

Facebook and Twitter have been two oI the most popular social networking sites Ior the
past Iew years. It`s a great way to stay connected with Iriends all around the world and post
pictures and videos on your own page. One downIall Ior these social networking sites is that Ior
student-athletes it can potentially put them at risk oI revealing personal inIormation that
shouldn`t be accessible. Even though everyone has the option oI blocking certain content, most
people don`t bother blocking either their photos or videos. For student-athletes that is the biggest
issue and it causes many oI them to potentially get suspended Irom the team they are on or even
get kicked oII. Nowadays, you see more schools banning their athletes Irom social networking
sites, most likely Facebook.com to protect their players Irom not getting into trouble. In 'The
Normalization oI Society: The Key to Productivity? Molena, Nosko and Wood state 'With the
rise oI social networking sites, the users have begun to share more inIormation about themselves,
which has increased the risk oI identity theIt, personal harm and potential stigmatization within
society (Molema, Nosko & Wood). What these 3 authors say is true but iI you block certain
contexts Irom your page you wont revile inIormation you don`t want to. I will argue that student
athletes should be allowed to have social networking accounts. The only exception would be
that all student athletes would be required to block all oI their photos and videos.
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AIter you leave high school and go to college Facebook is one oI the best ways to stay
in touch with your Iriends back at home and Iamily members that might not even live in the
United States. OI course talking on the phone is a great way to catch up with your Iriends or
have a conversation, but you can`t see what they are doing on an every day basis. Twitter is also
another way to communicate with Iriends but it`s a lot harder and not everyone has it. Yes you
can tweet at your Iriends but your limited to a certain number oI words, which makes it harder to
express yourselI. Facebook doesn`t give you a character limit and you can write Ior as long as
you want.

UnIortunately, The Northwestern Women`s Soccer Team was suspended Ior a season
because the players were posting inappropriate photos. These photos were Iound on Facebook.
ESPN`s article, 'Northwestern suspends women`s soccer team states 'A Web site on Monday
displayed pictures allegedly oI Northwestern soccer players in T-shirts and underwear, some
wearing blindIolds and others with their hands tied behind their backs. Other women had words
or pictures scrawled on their bodies and clothes, and it appeared some were drinking
alcohol.('Northwestern). This issue wouldn`t have occurred iI the players blocked their
photos. Someone came across the photos and reported them. That`s when the coaches knew
they had to punish not only them but the whole team by making the rule. The select girls had to
apologize, were suspended Ior multiple games, and had to do community service. This was a
serious problem that occurred but why should the innocent ones have to delete their accounts as
well? Many people might not know but it`s a great way to stay connected socially, Iind a job,
and post ads and promotions. In Karen Klein`s article, 'How to use social media to promote
your business Chris Warner, vice-president oI marketing Ior JackBe states, 'Web 2.0
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technologies can help you make a virtual community that keeps your business top oI mind Ior
your Ians and let your Ians help you engage new prospective customers (Klein). The coach did
not want to deal with any oI those situations so he strictly placed the rule on them as iI it really
happened.
This hasn`t occurred with the University oI Notre Dame Women`s Soccer Team but the
coach told their players they are required to delete their Facebook accounts. The coach Ieels
very strongly about the rule he placed on his players. During preseason he had a contract that
everyone had to sign and iI anyone had a problem with one oI the rules, they would not be
allowed to be on the team. A Iew rules that appeared on the contract was that no student-athlete
are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages during the soccer season, and oI course not having a
Facebook account.
As oI right now the Notre Dame Women`s Team is the only team on campus that is
required to delete their Facebook. I asked the coach a Iew questions to see his view on the whole
contract and why he doesn`t want his players to have Facebook while playing Ior the University.
Note that they are allowed to have twitter. The coach is just looking out Ior his players when he
states 'I just saw what was being posted on Facebook and Ielt that players couldn't control which
photos were posted and by whom. Northwestern University had some photos posted several
years ago which caused the administration to suspend the program Ior an entire season, so I just
don't want to risk putting our program in this situation. He also mentioned that iI someone got
caught with having their own account they would Iace a suspension. I also asked Coach
Waldrum iI he thinks all Notre Dame Student Athletes should delete their social networking
accounts and he personally thinks they should but he can only control the perception oI the
program and he tries to do that the best way he can. You would think iI the team is required to
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delete their Facebook accounts that they should be required to delete their Twitter accounts but
the coach allows it. He said, 'I've allowed twitter accounts provided the players allow me to
Iollow them. I did this due to the Iact that photos aren't generally posted on twitter, and you only
have a limited space to comment. I have told the players it's a trial basis and not to put anything
on there that does not represent Notre Dame Women' s soccer in the best light. So Iar they have
handled their accounts very well. II things change, I wouldn't hesitate to make them take oII
their accounts as well. This shows how much he cares about what his players post and how
much he hopes to prevent his athletes by posting anything on their Iacebooks that could get them
into trouble. don`t write anything that can get them into trouble. AIter telling the coach my
point, with allowing the players to have Facebook but required to block their photos and videos
he didn`t approve. He descriptively says, 'I do realize that social media has some great beneIits
regarding marketing, etc., but unIortunately many young people abuse the privilege. OIten the
photos posted don't really portray what was going on, but can be interpreted in negative ways.
For example, you could be at a restaurant with Iriends who are drinking, and you are not.
However, the alcohol is on the table in Iront oI you. The angle the photo is taken makes it look
like you are out drinking and that it's yours. Then the posts can say anything.. such as look at
ND Soccer player so and so partying at such and such bar last night beIore the game! Coach
Waldrum shows how much he cares about his players and team but the players shouldn`t be
penalized Ior a problem that never occurred to them.

I also had the chance to talk to the Notre Dame Women`s Basketball assistant coach, Angela
PotthoII, and get her Ieedback. Student-athletes shouldn`t be required to delete their social
networking accounts because it teaches them how to be responsible while communicating with their
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Ians. She states that 'No we do not require them to delete Facebook or twitter. We have not had
any problems with it yet we do have some minor rules they have to Iollow one oI the coaches and
we are thinking about a cooling oII period aIter games. One statement she made that I would 100
agree with is 'I like to treat them like adults and give them privileges until they prove that they can`t
handle them. We do monitor their accounts they have to accept one oI our coaches as their
Iriend. I asked her the same question iI she thinks all Notre Dame Student Athletes should be
required to delete their Facebook accounts. PotthoII responded 'AIter the recent Iootball twitter
incident it might be a good idea to either put some rules in or to at least educate them on what is
appropriate and what isn`t. But I think the majority oI our athletes are pretty mature and can handle
it. Facebook and Twitter are great ways to communicate with your Ians so why would you take
that away Irom a student-athlete who might be a proIessional someday? PotthoII agrees and says 'I
think it is a part oI this generation`s way oI communicating, and I don`t want to take that away Irom
them. Skylar Diggins has over 120,000 Iollowers on Twitter and she is going to be the Iace oI
women`s college basketball Ior ESPN. I don`t think it would be Iair Ior me to take that opportunity
away Irom her. It is important that student-athletes learn how to handle the social aspect oI their
athletic career.

Not having a Facebook account makes staying in touch with Iriends and Iamily back at
home much more diIIicult. I knew beIore committing to the University oI Notre Dame that I had
to delete my Facebook, and I knew in the beginning it was going to be hard getting used to not
having my own page. As a student-athlete your Iree time is limited so Facebook is a quick and
easy way to keep in touch with a large audience. It`s a great way to talk about my liIe and post
inIormation about upcoming games and athletic achievements. Facebook is also a useIul way to
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learn inIormation about my Iriends and Iamily back at home. Without Facebook it puts a strain
on the relationships that I have with these people. As Lampe, Ellison, SteinIield state
'Researchers have Iound that various Iorms oI social capital, Ior example having close
relationships with Iriends, Iamily, and neighbors can result in psychological ways like
satisIaction with liIe and selI-esteem('BeneIits oI Facebook). It is not Iun when you`re leIt out
oI things that are going on back at home, you don`t Ieel socially accepted. I now have to go on
my Iriends` Facebook accounts to see what`s going on back at home, and I will occasionally go
on my sister`s account to catch up with Iamily members. Having a Facebook account would
allow me to access this inIormation in a much more eIIicient way.

There have been previous incidents where underage athletes would take pictures oI
themselves drinking when they are not allowed to. From Jon Solomon`s article, 'What to do
about social media? Colleges tackle how to monitor what athletes are saying, it states 'Alabama
and Auburn allow their players to use Twitter and Facebook, although there are rules. For
instance, Alabama Iootball players are not allowed to post anything related to the team.
(Solomon). Football players have to really watch what they post on their social media accounts.
Everyone now is looking Ior ways to get teams into trouble but iI Iootball players are allowed to
have Facebook accounts so should all other collegiate teams unless a speciIic incident occurred
to a team.

The NCAA compliance committee plays a big role when it comes to what student-
athletes post on their social networking accounts. In Jon Solomon`s article, Michael Buckner
states, "I think it's going to come as a shock to a lot oI presidents, compliance directors, athletic
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directors and coaches that the NCAA has now put this new obligation on universities," "Whether
membership agrees with it or not, iI this is the enIorcement staII's position, schools are going to
have to devise strategies that are cost-eIIective but at the same time demonstrate they're
monitoring social media sites." (Solomon). BeIore taking student-athletes Facebook accounts
away the compliance committee should have meetings with every team so they know the
consequences oI what can happen beIore they automatically take Facebook away Irom the
players.

There is no rule or contract that says it is a good idea that all student-athletes should
delete their social networking accounts. On the other hand, iI an incident occurred to a speciIic
collegiate team due to posting pictures or videos, then the coaches have the right to take it away.
II there wasn`t a problem that occurred then the student-athletes shouldn`t be punished. Coach
Waldrum speciIically required his team to delete their Facebook accounts just to be saIe so no
photos can be posted that can get them suspended. Its great that he is watching out Ior his
players but they should be treated like adults and iI they show they can`t be mature then he has
the right to take it away Irom them. Treating their players like adults is what Coach PotthoII also
agrees with. She wants to make sure the players know how to deal with the social part oI their
social career as a collegiate athlete. The main reason why I believe that Facebook accounts
shouldn`t be deleted is because it`s the easiest, quickest way to stay in touch with Iriends and
Iamily back at home. Facebook also is a great way to post business ads so you would miss out
on promotions and ads. The Northwestern article is a great example oI why you should require
your team to delete Facebook but shouldn`t be required to teams that are mature about their
Facebook page. More people are getting involved and Iocusing on what student-athletes post
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and the NCAA compliance committee needs to really speciIy to the athletes what the
consequences can be iI you post illegal inIormation.
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Works Cited



Ellison, Nicole, Charles SteinIield and CliII Lampe. 'The BeneIits oI Facebook 'Friends:

Social Capital and College Students` Use oI Online Social Network Sites JCMC.

Journal oI Computer-mediated communication. 2007. Web. 4 Nov. 2011


Klein, Karen. 'How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business Bloomberg Businessweek.

Bloomberg, 7 Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Nov. 2011.


Molema, S., A. Nosko , and E. Wood. 'The Normalization oI Society: The Key to Productivity?

Marta Misiulaityte. Bowdoin. 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.


'Northwestern suspends women`s soccer team. ESPN College Sports. ESPN online. 16 May

2006. Web. 2 Nov. 2011


PotthoII, Angela. Karin Simonian. 2 November 2011


Solomon, Jon. 'What to do about social media? Colleges tackle how to monitor what athletes are

saying Al.com. Alabama Live. 24 July 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.


Waldrum, Randy. Karin Simonian. 5 November 2011