Beyond the Game: Supporting First-Year, First-Generation Student-Athletes in Community Colleges

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) oversees athletics at 525 community colleges, involving approximately 70,000 student-athletes annually (2019). Many of these athletes are first-generation college students (FGCSs), a demographic that constitutes almost two thirds of all students at two-year institutions. These students often come from low-income families with limited exposure to higher education and face unique challenges, including academic preparedness, time management, financial constraints, and social integration. Despite their recruitment for athletic performance, many first-year,   frst-generation student-athletes fail to persist beyond their first year. Findings from a recent study (Worrels, 2025) revealed that while general support systems exist for student-athletes, few practices are tailored specifically for them. Following are insights and recommendations shared from the study about supporting this population.

Understanding a Unique Student Population

Community Colleges have long opened doors to opportunity and upward mobility. Within this mission, first-year, first-generation college student-athletes (FGCSAs) stand out as a group with strong potential but uneven support. Many arrive with limited exposure to college systems and fewer academic resources, challenges noted by the Close the Gap Foundation (n.d.). Meeting their needs requires more than eligibility-driven approaches; it calls for support that reflects the full scope of their experiences.

Navigating the First-Year Experience 

For many FGCSAs, the first year is a period of adjustment on multiple fronts. They are learning how college works while balancing practice schedules, academic expectations, and the social demands of a new environment. These pressures often converge early, making the first year especially important for persistence. When support is inconsistent or delayed, students may struggle, not because they lack ability, but because institutional structures do not fully meet them where they are.

The Power of Integrated Support Systems

Support is most effective when it is coordinated. Rather than relying on isolated interventions, institutions see stronger outcomes when academic affairs, student services, and athletics work together. This means regular communication among coaches, advisors, faculty, and staff, along with a shared responsibility for student progress. Comeaux and Harrison’s (2011) Model of Academic Success for Student-Athletes highlights the value of this approach, emphasizing alignment across academic, social, and athletic domains.

Early Alerts and Proactive Intervention

Early alert systems can make a meaningful difference when used well. By identifying concerns early in the term, faculty and staff can intervene before small issues become larger obstacles. For student-athletes with tightly structured schedules, timing matters. When early alerts are paired with timely follow-up, they create space for support that is both responsive and individualized.

Advising, Coaching, and Shared Responsibility

Advisors and success coaches often serve as consistent points of contact for student-athletes. Beyond course planning, they help students navigate processes, manage competing demands, and connect with resources. When advisors and coaches maintain communication and approach student progress as a shared responsibility, students are more likely to remain engaged and move forward with clarity.

Mentorship and Belonging

Mentorship adds another layer of support. Whether formal or informal, these relationships offer encouragement, accountability, and reassurance. For first-generation students, having someone affirm their place in college can be significant. While coaches often fill this role, extending mentorship to faculty and staff broadens the network and reinforces that students are valued beyond their athletic roles.

The Impact of TRIO Program Reductions

Programs within the TRIO framework have historically provided essential support for first-generation students, including student-athletes. Services such as tutoring, financial literacy, and transfer guidance have helped students persist and plan for the future. However, funding shifts and policy changes have affected the reach and stability of many of these programs, raising concerns about continued access to these supports.

Sustaining the Pipeline: The Role of Upward Bound

Upward Bound continues to play an important role in preparing students for college before they enroll. Building academic confidence and familiarity with higher education helps ease the transition into college life. As external programs face uncertainty, community colleges may need to develop internal approaches that carry this work forward and maintain student momentum.

Creating a Culture of Care

Institutional culture shapes how students experience college. Efforts such as Caring Campus, developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (n.d.), emphasize small, intentional actions that help students feel acknowledged and supported. When students feel recognized, they are more likely to engage, ask for help, and persist. For FGCSAs, this sense of connection can be especially important.

Moving Beyond Compliance

A common limitation in student-athlete support is an emphasis on eligibility alone. While compliance matters, it should not define success. A broader view includes academic progress, personal development, degree completion, and preparation for life beyond college. Achieving this shift requires leadership that keeps student development at the center of decision-making.

A Call to Action for Community Colleges

Community colleges are well-positioned to strengthen support for FGCSAs, but doing so requires continued focus.

This includes investing in professional development, encouraging cross-departmental collaboration, and using data to guide decisions. Just as important is listening to student-athletes themselves, whose experiences offerclear insight into what is working and what is not.

Supporting first-year, first-generation student-athletes is ultimately tied to the broader mission of community colleges, to expand access, create opportunity, and help students move forward with purpose.


Dr. Derrick Worrels serves as President of Ranger College, where he provides strategic leadership focused on student success, institutional growth, and community engagement.

With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, he has demonstrated a commitment to advancing access and opportunity within the community college sector. Dr. Worrels earned his Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership from Kansas State University. The Roueche Center Forum is co-edited by Drs. John E. Roueche and Margaretta B. Mathis of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, Kansas State University.