Being an athlete in college takes a lot of dedication and commitment. But just how much does being an athlete change your college experience? I talked with some of the girls on the MNSU Volleyball team to find out more. Living with a few of these girls, I have witnessed first-hand the crazy schedules that they adjust to and the amount of time and effort they dedicate to their sport. Getting more in depth with them helped me to better understand what it meant to be an athlete in college today.
Typical Daily Schedule:
BUSY! There are two types of weekdays for these girls: those with lifting and those without.
Lifting: On a day where lifting in the weight room is scheduled, their day starts around 6:30am. For those who have early classes, their lifting days can start as early as 5:30am. Lifting lasts for roughly an hour, fortunately leaving enough time for a quick ten-minute nap before classes start (if you’re lucky enough!).
Classes: On average, the girls have two to three classes a day.
Practice: Aside from lifting and classes, the girls are committed to two hour practices every day.
Weekend Tournaments: Tournaments start on Thursdays, usually after their two-hour practice. The girls have had to drive as many as eight and a half hours just to get to a tournament. They play one game on Friday and one on Saturday. Each game comes with its pregame routine of breakfast, video, walk-through, warm-up and finally, game time.
Outside Requirements
Practice and games aren’t the only things that these girls commit to. There is other outside work involved in being a part of the team.
Video: The team collectively watches approximately two hours of video a week before practices. This video includes watching other teams’ habits and techniques, along with occasionally watching themselves play. The girls also watch about an hour of video on their own every week.
Scout Reports: Scout reports are vital to athletes. They detail other team’s tendencies. Memorizing scout reports is a weekly routine so that they can know what to expect from the other team before their upcoming game.
Rehab: Rehab is a huge outside requirement for a majority of the team. Whether it be icing, stretching or more serious rehabilitation, it is critical before games. Players have to arrive 1-2 hours early to every practice to meet with the trainer. Sometimes they are required to see the trainer two times a day.
Sleep & Homework
Luckily, sleep isn’t affected too much which came as a surprise to me. The girls usually get 6-8 hours of sleep during the week.
Homework isn’t necessarily affected by this rigorous schedule either, but the social lives of the athletes are not quite as flexible and active compared to other students.
Positives
One credit is earned every year for participating in a sport. Coming into college, the players already had made friends through their team and were able to create a close bond with their teammates. They also have a close connection with other athletes. Being a college athlete shows leadership and teamwork skills which are highly valued by employers. Most important, these girls are able to continue playing a sport that has made up a large part of who they are and what they enjoy doing.
Overall, being an athlete in college does change your experience. However, the hours and effort put into it are well worth it for these athletes. Their sport isn’t just an elective, it’s a choice they’ve made to continue with something they are passionate about. This isn’t to say that non-athletes are missing out on anything, as a lot of the same skills these girls are acquiring can also be acquired in other ways. Being an athlete in college is demanding, but it provides you with a new way to experience college and create a group of friends that will last a lifetime.