Being successful in the classroom while playing a collegiate sport is not easy. The life of a student-athlete requires hard work, discipline, patience and, last but not least, good time management.
Student-athletes are often stereotyped by society as students ones who do not focus on school, miss classes and do poorly on tests. While their classmates often think that student-athletes cannot have excellence in the classroom because they do not have time to study, they often combat these beliefs.
Student-athletes’ days are always very busy; sometimes it is hard to believe how many things they can do in 24 hours. Between spending most of their time at practice, on the road with the team or at games, it seems impossible that athletes can be able to focus on studying as well.
However, when the essays are turned in and the tests are graded, athletes often surprise their classmates when they get just as good grades as the other students who always pay attention.
Student-athletes have high expectations for themselves on the field, and this is not different in the classroom either. Fighting to achieve their goals, winning and being one of the best is generally an athlete’s ultimate purpose, in all aspects of life.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association also has requirements for all student-athletes, in order to provide an appropriate education for them. To stay eligible, student-athletes need to maintain a minimum 2.3 GPA and practicing is not allowed during finals week.
California Baptist University athletics has always had outstanding athletic and academic performances as well. In the 2012 spring season 10 athletes on the women’s water polo team were awarded Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-Academic awards.
Balancing the demands of college and athletics requires several skills; extraordinary discipline, strong work ethic, patience and most importantly time management. The hard work that student-athletes invest on the field and in the classroom can be a good example to inspire other CBU students to be successful in the classroom as well.
