What is it like being a Student Athlete?
Photo by Steven Lelham on Unsplash
Blog by Hamda Aleissaee
Did you know that in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, University Athletes dominated the USA Olympic team. It is not surprising that Stanford university had the highest number of Olympic medals (26 medals), (The Stanford Daily, 2021). This is a fascinating view of universities, because while you and I think that we are studying hard for our majors, there are other students training every day to be athletes, supported by scholarships and facilities. So, have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a student-athlete?
While I am certainly not an Olympic athlete nor is my university prompting me to be, I could speak about my experience when I joined a swimming team at my university. I will be speaking of the highs and lows of my experience and pointing out interesting studies on the “student-athlete” topic. I want to mention that I will not be talking about student athlete scholarships, because I do not have one and that I am a regular student who was fortunate enough to be in a swimming team.
Highs:
Coach
In my experience, the best thing that happened was that I got a coach who was helpful and understanding. This gave me positive attitude toward training. Moreover, having a coach can really push you beyond what you thought were your limits. This helped me break milestones which I never thought I could do. Micoogullari, Odek and Beyaz (2017) point out that the relationship between the coach and the athlete is extremely important is it positively affects the well-being of the athlete. Therefore, a good coach allows the athlete to be more optimistic when dealing with challenges.
Teammates
Meeting new people was intriguing, and training with teammates had a positive effect on my performance. It led me to push forward and had a sense of community that we are all thriving together. A research by Raabe and Zakrajsek (2017) show that teammates and coaches have positive effect on performance and prevent athlete burnout. They also point out that the weight of responsibilities and expectations are distributed within the team, giving a sense of community and unity. Surprisingly, I was very much fond of idea that I can forget about my major snice no one had ever asked me about it. There was this academia-free zone which I really liked, where no questions about my major or what my studies were. For the first time ever I met students and didn’t talk about majors or studies.
Lows:
Balance
One of the major challenges I’ve dealt with was trying to find balance between academic, mental, social, and athletic priorities. When I started, I was quite excited and motivated, until I began feeling physically tired. So much so I couldn’t study on some days and sometimes my limbs felt sore for days. This wasn’t my 30-45 minutes walk/run, it was very intense, which was physical stress on top of academic stress. Because of this it made me feel burnout and doubt myself many times which caused a lot mental stress as well. In a piece of research done by, Watson, Visek, and Maniar in 2016 states that burnout, slumps, and injuries can be caused by overtraining. It is eye-opening to see that I was not the only one to struggle with balance.
Academic performance
For me, I found that my academic performance was hindered, especially when it came to attending classes. I found myself skipping lectures because I felt tierd all the. On top of that I couldn’t study or focus, which made me more anxious and sadder about this situation. This caused some of my marks to go down for some subjects along with added stress. While sports are important for student life, education is the main purpose of the university experience. The research regarding this issue is interesting and it points to different outcomes than what I experienced. Firstly, Corack (2014) points out that athletes are naturally competitive and drive to become better at their sport. This trait could help them to perform better in their education. Secondly, a study by Brecht and Burnett (2019) points out that training can have a positive effect on academic performance, and that it is influenced by other factors like time management, self-esteem, commitments etc.
On the whole, my experience being in a swimming team was exciting experience. There is definitely pros and cons for all things in life and this is no difference. I have always wondered what it’s like to be in a sports team. I can finally say that know I know it feels like, to some extent. If you ever thought about becoming a student athlete, like I did, most universities are equipped with the facilities for you to start your journey. I hope by sharing my experience and struggles thought my journey have helped you see what it’s like. And remember there is always ups and downs in everything J
References
Brecht A, Burnett D. 2019. Advising Student-Athletes for Success: Predicting the Academic Success and Persistence of Collegiate Student-Athletes. NACADA Journal. 39(1): 49-59.
Corack G. 2014. The Relationship of Collegiate Athletic and Recreational Sports Involvement to Student Success and Persistence. Online Theses and Dissertations. 206: 1-171.
Etzel E, Watson J, Visek A, Maniar S. 2006. Understanding and Promoting College Student- Athlete Health: Essential Issues for Student Affairs Professionals. NASPA Journal. 43(3): 516-546.
Micoogullari, B. O., Odek, U., & Beyaz, O. (2017). Evaluation of Sport Mental Toughness and Psychological Wellbeing in Undergraduate Student Athletes. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(8), 483–487.
Raabe, J., & Zakrajsek, R. 2017. Coaches and Teammates as Social Agents for Collegiate Athletes’ Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 10(1), 67-82.
The Stanford Daily. (2021, September 15). Dynamic dozen: The Stanford student-athletes who took on Tokyo. Retrieved January 2, 2022, from https://stanforddaily.com/2021/09/15/dynamic-dozen-the-stanford-student-athletes-who-took-on-tokyo/
