Podcast Script

Daniel Conrad

The Student Athlete

Complete Show Length in Minutes: 6:30

Episode 1: Topic: The affects of being a student athlete.

Intro Music Clip: Title: “Roundball Rock” Minutes: 30 sec

Intro: The Bernie Conrad experience. Minutes: 1min

Hello and welcome, I’m Daniel Conrad and I will be telling you all about the experience of the student athlete. In this pod cast we will explore all the excitement and work that goes into being both a student and an athlete at college. I will address questions about the athletic, academic, and social life of student athletes. As the NCAA commercials say, most of these athletes will go pro in something other than sports; we will show how true this is. Usually, they stand out at these other professional levels and within their communities. In a little while we will be getting first hand knowledge from a man who experienced this from 1961-1965. His name is Bernie Conrad, and he will explain to us what life was like being a college student while being on both the basketball and baseball teams at Purdue University. He will also explain how collegian athletics have changed since he played, and how there is much more pressure on students to win nowadays. This is an extraordinary man with extraordinary talents who has much experience and is a valid source for this pod cast. As a student myself I know how much time and effort it takes to study and keep my grades up. I can’t imagine playing a sport and getting all my academic work done as well.

Segment Music Clip: Title: “Eye of the Tiger” Minute: 4

Segment: Being a college athlete. Minutes: 3:45

So we are now joined by Bernie so that he may share his thoughts with us. Please tell us about the overall experience as a student athlete? “Well, looking back I’ve got to say that it was a lot of fun. It took a lot of hard work and determination to maintain grades and also, be able to play on sports teams. I was on both the basketball and baseball teams at Purdue. I probably wasn’t as focused on my school work as I should have been. I was like any other student and liked to party and just have fun.” How have these experiences in college helped to define you as a person? “Playing sports at such a high level helped prepare me for the real world more than I ever thought it would. It taught me the proper work ethic, leadership, and how to work with teammates. No matter what career you pursue you’ll have to work with other people, and playing a sport in college allowed me to know how to handle my co-workers and bosses.” What do you feel are the greatest accomplishments as both a student and an athlete? “As an athlete it was definitely in basketball when I was in a game for more than five minutes. I didn’t play that much, but in that game against Michigan, the two point guards ahead of me got into foul trouble, so I got the nod. Academically it would have to be graduating and knowing that all of my hard work had paid off.
I also talked to him about the differences in college athletics today as compared to when he played back in the sixties. He said that today’s athletes are under so much pressure to win. The fellow students and alumni from major schools and programs demand success. Almost all games are televised, with players getting interviewed, and attention from different media outlets. With the way the games are played, basketball has changed dramatically. When Bernie played, there was no shot clock and no three point line. The college games were low scoring and a lot more focused on playing as a team and the right way. Today, you just need one stud on your team and you can be successful. The biggest difference in baseball is that everybody today, is bigger and stronger. Players can pitch faster and hit the ball harder. Back when Bernie was playing, teams played “small ball,” where you would do things like sacrifice bunt, and hit the other way in order to manufacture runs. Now, all players do is swing for the fences. Even though styles of play have changed, the challenges to a student athlete are the same. They must succeed academically and be able to perform in whatever sport they are a part of.
In America there are almost four-hundred thousand student athletes. They are able to compete and perform at a very high level, while keeping their grades up. When glancing at the benefits of playing sports in college, it would seem that people just do it for fun. However, most of the time there is a lot more to it. The student athlete usually has a drive to achieve great things. They are hard workers and will run through walls for their teammates. They need a tough mentality to be able to focus and keep themselves from being distracted. The final thing we asked Bernie was about distractions. “It is hard not to be distracted with the pressure of your social life and trying to fit in. It can all become overwhelming sometimes. You have to keep your head on straight and be able to stay close to earth. As long as you don’t get too big of a head you should be fine.” So there it is, words from a man who has been there and seen it.

End Segment Music Clip: Title: “Hail Purdue” Minutes: 1:15

Ending: The dedication of the student athlete. Minutes: 1

Although collegian sports have changed over the decades, the principles they teach young people all over this country hasn’t. Student athletes gain a unique experience that teaches them teamwork and leadership. It also does a lot to help prepare them for their future in any career they choose to pursue. These talented athletes need to be able to perform in the class room along with on the gridiron in order to succeed and make it through college. Another quality that becomes imprinted within the players is dedication. They are dedicated to there teammates and learn what it is like to work in a group. This can then de translated to the real world when working with family and co-workers. All of the things that student athletes learn from the college experience can help develop them into better people, and better citizens. I want to thank Bernie Conrad for allowing me to interview him, and for his appearance in this pod cast.