Amidst the thousands of college athletes who yearn to extend their careers to professional levels, there are those content with reaching a new personal best. For the athletes who see eclipsing a national title as the peak of their experience, there are some who find placing first just once to be fulfilling enough. For each athlete who competes at the Division I level, there is one in Division III; the only difference is: why do they do it?
According to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), as of 2014 there are 181,000 athletes competing at the Division I level; over half are receiving some form of financial compensation as a result of their athletic participation. At the Division III level there are 187,000 athletes, and none are receiving any form of financial compensation as a result of their athletic participation.
These statistics are not mentioned to wage war between the divisions, but rather to inquire why Division III athletes add the stress of athletic participation on top of their academic careers, without receiving the compensation found at the Division I level. It is a trait unique to the third division, an unequal separation of playing fields that influences the way in which the student-athletes view their respective sport, and how it in turn, changes them.
Perhaps the answer lies in the way in which individuals at each division approach the sport— the philosophy they adopt. Kari Kluckhohn, the Head Coach of Women’s Track and Field at North Central, believes this to be the case.
“When you look at Division III philosophy over Division I philosophy, Division III takes a student-athlete approach, meaning the student is as present as the athlete. It doesn’t mean the athlete comes after, but rather the two are a co-curricular experience,” said Kluckhohn.
While athletes at the Division I level have a focus dedicated to succeeding at their sport, Division III offers a flexibility for students to perform at their best, whilst still maintaining academic success. It’s an ideal environment, and one Kluckhohn believes is well understood by those participating within it.
“Athletes see the value of what we as coaches teach; a lot of what we talk about is being excellent in what you do, whether it’s athletics or academics,” said Kluckhohn. “Athletics isn’t secondary here, but it’s all an educational process.”
It cannot be denied that Division I athletes place an incredible amount of time and effort into their sport. The combined talent and practice shows that when they compete, they are the best of what college athletics can offer. Their passion for the sport is unquestionable, but perhaps not unmatchable. Despite competing at a lesser degree and being invested equally between their academic and athletic lives, there is not always a dip in personal passion for the sport at Division III. For some, the belief is quite the contrary.
“I think Division III athletes have more passion for the sport. Nobody is offering us free food, clothing, or tuition, along with anything else we may need. We have to put in our own, on our own; it’s about passion rather than requirement,” said senior Zach Kirby, a four-year Track and Field runner at North Central College.
Kirby’s words strike a particular chord: passion rather than requirement. It may be the silver lining of Division III— the reason why so many athletes are willing to compete. They may not receive financial compensation, they may not practice with the same quality of equipment, they may not be at the level of their Division I counterparts, but their passion and their desire to improve burns as fierce as the fire in a Division I athlete’s heart.
They may never appear on national television or win a national title, but they’ll achieve in ways other athletes may not because of the culture of the division they are in. Coach Kari, from her time at North Central, perfectly frames the beauty of Division III athletes as people, growing beyond the track, or court, or field, as individuals.
“We can sense a North Central kid. The kid who wants to be a quality person, a quality student, quality athlete. People who want to be developed, who want to be mentored, who want to stress themselves athletically, academically, in all aspects of their life, in an effort to become better each day. Not to be the best, but to be better individually,” said Kluckhohn.
