Across the nations Universities and Highschools, student-athletes juggle some of the most demanding schedules pressed upon young people. Between early morning practices, cross-state travel and academic/social responsibilities, finding balance can become quite a challenge for many to overcome.
As mental health awareness increases and universities reevaluate the systems in place to support their players, the task of balancing personal, academic and athletic responsibilities remains upon the college athletes themselves.
For many students, competing at a collegiate level is a dream that is rewarded through the opportunity to play the game they love while also being paid to do so. Among these primary motivators, many athletes also note the ability to develop leadership skills, foster lifelong friendships and the opportunity be able to be a part of a team as benefits in collegiate level athletics.
Behind these benefits lie intense pressures rarely experienced by non-athletes. College sports require year-round commitment, including conditioning during the preseason and any postseason tournaments, like regionals or nationals.
This intense pressure to maintain premier performance in athletics can lead to anxiety among many athletes, with the stress of expectations disrupting their academic stability.
Emma “Joy” Jow, a Junior English major and team captain for the Women’s Cross-Country team, speaks to how she balances her academic load with the expectations derived from her sport.
“I honestly think my athletics help me with my academic performance,” Jow said. “Because it forces me to be extremely organized and have very intentional time management. If I know I have practice from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m., then I have to plan my time accordingly during the day to get work done, and I’m less likely to procrastinate.”
The pressure to excel in your sport and in school comes not just internally, but also through the University itself, as many maintain the ability to take away funding of scholarships, should a student’s grades drop below a certain point.
Jow’s experience as a third-year and captain of her team shows that GCSU students can reliably structure their time to combine the rigor of a large class-load with the demands of their team. Her experience also shows that students can maintain this balance while managing their own anxieties surrounding external pressures imposed by the school, coaches, parents, teammates and themselves.
Other students also tend to attribute this balance to good time management. Emily Wright, a cross-country runner and senior philosophy major, shares her opinion on the subject.
“The key to balancing sports and school, for me, is time management.” Wright said.. “I am very intentional about how I spend my time, and I specifically create positive downtime between long study sessions and practice so my mind doesn’t get too overloaded.”
Wright’s experience mirrors that of athletes all across the nation, in every division. Many rely on detailed schedules or structured downtime in order to stay afloat. While this structure helps, it often leaves little room for personal flexibility, leaving student-athletes to struggle when considering their social responsibilities as well.
Peering beyond academics and athletics, college athletes often face challenges in intertwining their social lives into their already blocked-out schedules. Many athletes complain that strict curfews (having to be up for 6 AM practice) impede their social flexibility, introducing a sense of FOMO from over-prioritizing school and sports.
“I am extremely intentional with my time, and I make sure I allot enough time every day for all of my priorities,” Jow said. “I have a color-coded Google calendar where I outline specific times for my athletics and academics so I can clearly see when I have time for socializing. I make sure I go out of my way to spend time with friends even if I’m tired, because I never regret time spent with people.”
Jow’s emphasis on her social life, even when she feels drained from athletic and academic responsibilities, highlights the mental fortitude that many college athletes gain from years of conditioning within this structure and reflects the common reality that many athletes face: the risk of burnout without scheduled, intentional downtime, as noted by Wright.
“It’s similar to managing sports with school,” Wright said. “I really care about making time to relax and pursue hobbies. I go to trivia with friends each week and often study in groups to make things more fun. I’m good at trapping myself in a study room, so scheduling time like this forces me so socialize and actually have fun.”
Wright’s approach mimics that of Jow’s and many college athletes around the nation. The ability to remain flexible, even when your entire day is scheduled, is a valuable skill that many athletes and individuals involved with multiple organizations develop without even realizing it.
Despite the challenges presented, many college athletes find ways to maintain a healthy balance between their academic, athletic and social lives. These strategies from senior college-athletes stem from years of trial and error, learning the ins and outs of their abilities while also navigating their waning ambitions towards their three primary responsibilities, excluding self-care.
Incoming Freshman athletes may view collegiate athletics as daunting at first; however, their main lifeline for advice is in these senior students, who offer profound knowledge stemming from their experiences as student-athletes.
When asked to give a word of advice to incoming freshmen, Jow reflected on her first years and how she has learned from those experiences to maintain balance in her final two years at GCSU.
“I would tell them to give themselves grace to make mistakes,” Jow said. “It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed with so many responsibilities. Remember that rest is just as important as hard work. Don’t be too hard on yourself…because you always have someone in your corner to help you.”
The life of a college athlete is demanding but deeply rewarding. The journey is shaped by discipline, sacrifice and growth, as balancing academics, athletics and social lives requires strong support systems and a sturdy mental fortitude.
At schools like GCSU, the commitment to supporting athletes on and off the field and in the classroom is evident, as the US News’ report recently ranked the school as No.1 for Best Academic Success rate in the Nation, among all NCAA DII public universities.
As college sports continue to evolve and schedules grow increasingly demanding, the resilience and adaptability shown by student-athletes remain central to their success on the field and in the classroom. GCSU’s accolade comes as a recognition of the support systems the school has in place; however, it’s more of an award to each and every student athlete, as their success is obtained through their own application of their skills in time management while giving their all to their sport.