Think Twice Before You Tweet

In this day in age, most college students are involved in social media, and more than 50% of these college students are athletes. With this role they have to meet certain expectations, and their actions have greater consequences. Young adults are often told to be aware of what they post, but this advice seems to pertain to student athletes the most.

During the recruiting process, it is very common for college coaches to have their prospective athlete include their social media account info. Why, you ask? College coaches are looking at potential athletes to get a deeper look than just seeing them perform on the field. What they post on social media is a direct reflection of who they really are. Coaches also use this to see if they have the right character to fit in with the team in the classroom and on the field, and to look for individuals who have their priorities straight. Colleges can't take the risk of letting athletes run their mouths. Athletes are an extension of their school and schools need to make quick moves to ensure that their reputation isn't ruined, which is why suspensions and loss of scholarships are becoming more relevant in this social media age. Never let a 140 character tweet cost you a $140,000 scholarship.

More schools are using Twitter to give their athletes recognition, in-game updates, or final scores. But any individual student can stir up trouble with a single comment, picture, or online conversation, and that extends well beyond just an elite athlete trying to get a scholarship. Teens complaining about playing time, bickering with a teammate, or trash-talking an opponent have forced coaches to be more vigilant about their players' online activity. It's not as frequent as preparing a plan for the next practice or game, but it's something coaches simply can't ignore. Be cautious of what you post.