One thing I have realized being on the SCAD Golf team is that I’ve both found a treasure and have been put in between a rock and a hard place. There is so much to love about SCAD athletics and the underlying discipline you gain from having so much on your plate, but, like everything, it has its drawbacks. So, for anyone considering becoming an athlete here are my pros and cons of being part of the team.
Image courtesy of SCAD.edu (That’s me on the far left!)
Pros:
1. Scholarships save your ass.
I can’t emphasize how much less pressure I have compared to many of my peers who take out loans or depend on a benefactor – having a guaranteed source of payment that can’t suddenly disappear in the middle of a quarter is an immense blessing.
2. It comes with a free family!
Be it golf, classes, working out or food challenges, my second biggest supporters have been my golf team – after my boyfriend, who gets excited about everything even when he has 0 understanding of what’s going on (love you baby). To have such unconditional love and encouragement is so reinforcing, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without my substitute dad (aka coach) and my teammates.
3. Mandatory exercise
As much as I’d like to argue this belongs in the ‘cons’ list, I can’t imagine how unhealthy I’d be if I wasn’t forced to walk several miles a week with a golf bag strapped on me. Aside from keeping me in a (barely) acceptable state of fitness, being required to go outside and practice gets my mind off the stress of school and freshens up my mental state.
Cons:
1. 24 hours isn’t nearly enough time in the day.
Most days I wake up at 8am to either hit the gym or make it to practice on time. Doesn’t sound too bad, until I stay up ‘till 3am sketching gestures or writing Art History papers. SCAD student athletes are unfortunate enough to have the pressure of being an artist as well as an athlete and a college student and the workload adds up.
2. ABSENCES ARE KILLING ME
Everyone knows SCAD weekends start on Thursday evening. Not true for SCAD golfers L Fridays are mandatory whole day practices, usually when we qualify for tournaments that begin on Sundays and finish on Tuesdays. This means every quarter we have a minimum of 2 absences taken up by our sport- along with not having our Fridays. Ultimately, we have less time to work yet have more work that takes up our time (STAY ORGANIZED KIDS).
3. Mandatory exercise
Do I really need to go through this again? I don’t like the gym, and I’m practically allergic to physical exertion. Come on.