Many things keep administrators up at night. One of those things, not surprisingly, is what their student-athletes are doing online. “What are they posting? Who will see it? Will I get an email at 2:00 in the morning about it? Will I wake up to find one of our players on Deadspin for something she tweeted?”

What players post is out of the control of administrators and coaches – no matter what policies you have in place. It’s one of the main reasons social media education is so important. Given how much time college students spend online, and how much of a magnifying glass is on what student-athletes post, we must be intentional to educate, equip and empower them to use it well.

In our leadership sessions with teams and departments, we use a tool to decrease gossip and drama. It’s a visual tool that asks 3 questions. 

This tool and these questions can guide student-athletes in what they post – or more importantly, don’t post – on social media. This is especially true during times of stress (after a loss, after a break-up or argument with their boyfriend or girlfriend, locker room drama, etc).

Social Media is typically the place where students now go to vent. Many times they are not trying to cause additional drama, they are simply processing what is going on in their life. What older generations would write in a diary, they write on social media – without realizing just how public it really is.

If we can get them to stop, take a deep breath, and ask these three questions, we can help to prevent a private problem from becoming a very public issue.

Fieldhouse Media is an award-winning firm dedicated to educating, equipping, and empowering student-athletes to use social media well.  To find out more about us or to join the more than 120 schools who have utilized our services for their athletics department, contact us today.