The life of a student-athlete: The Importance of Balance and Time Management

The Life of a Student-Athlete: The Importance of Balance and Time Management Kira A. Gordon University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Spring 2013

Introduction:

desktop support 10/17/13 10:21 AM Comment [1]: Great topic

When thinking about the topic of discussion what first came to mind was how the life of a student-athlete is, and the struggles that come along with it. Many only get the outside view of being a student- athlete. This includes all the perks that come with it: free education, free clothes, and the free opportunity to play the sport we love. What many fail to realize is the struggles that come with being a student- athlete. Many only see what happens on the court/field. Many do not see how tough it is to actually balance and maintain class work with sports. This brings a negative view on athletes since many assume they are lazy and only worried about their sports. One of the main ordeals that triggered me into the time management and balancing direction were the observations I received from assignment one. While being the outsider observing the womens basketball team I know that there was always a blocked time for each specific event. This in my opinion seemed to bring more balance and management for specific events they have to compete throughout the day. These observations led me to do more research on the life of a student athlete. I decided to focus specifically on the importance of time management and balance for students. I thought this was great topic to research since there are very distinct views and sides on this subject. My position on this topic is pro athletes. Having played a competitive sport for fifteen years plus, I believe no one nearly knows the hard work and dedication athletes put both on and off the court. Many do not have the opportunity to see the extra hours athletes put in for the class room. They do not whiteness the late night and early mornings athletes put in when studying for test. They do not have the opportunity to see the multiple books we, athletes carry while traveling from state to state. Lastly, they do not see the days many of us stay up for consecutive nights studying for finals, while having a game the next day. What I hope to conclude from this research is to enlighten the reader and outside forces on the difficulties that come along with being a student athlete. Time management is a tremendous key to a student-athletes success, and my goal is to get the many opinions of the specific time management roles and productiveness that student athletes need. Literature Review:

desktop support 10/17/13 10:21 AM Comment [2]: Random sentence desktop support 10/17/13 10:22 AM Comment [3]: Do not use many as much.

desktop support 10/17/13 10:25 AM Comment [4]: Change to for athletes

They say youre here for school, Martin-Manley said. But if you break down our schedule, its like, How can you expect [an athletes] No. 1 focus to be on school? is this quote particularly true? Yes, but this is what comes with being a student- athlete. Our coach [Jack Dahm] even says it: We only have 20 hours, but you have to put in more than 20 hours to be where you want to be, baseball player Anthony Torres said. You do a lot more than 20 hours

of work. Coaches always believe in you putting in overtime, doing more than what is asked of you. The first concept you will learn when becoming a student- athlete become is time management, and the importance of it. Life as a student athlete can be a fun and rewarding experience; it can also prove to be overwhelming The light bulb does not come on for some of them until its too late. Most of the time in athletics and in life, you only get one chance to get it right. Student athletes need to make the most of their opportunities because there are plenty of others that would love to be in their shoes, without the knowledge and understanding of the importance of time management, you will not get far in being a student- athlete. A huge factor in academics is missed class time. For the football players, missed classes were minimal, if at all Games and practices are spread out over the course of the week, so class time is missed often. Once games start occurring and your schedule starts to get hectic, you must be able to know how to manage and make time for your classwork. Although class and you sport are your two main priorities, you must remember to also maintain a healthy social life. While interviewing four college student athletes, Brawn received feedback from them on their social lives. Their responses are a followed:
All four athletes said they have active social lives. After interviewing each player, it became apparent that their sports teams are like a permanent group of friends, similar to a fraternity or club. Their fellow teammates shared the same passion for the sport as they did, making the awkward and crucial task of making friends a no brainer. This common love of the game and unquenchable desire to win, combined with constant practicing, training, traveling and living together makes close, lifelong friendships. These friendships are what get athletes through slumps in their athletic careers and how to sort out stress in their academic careers. Athletes face an advantage to the social life aspect of college, because as they all admit, they are free to go into any party they choose.

desktop support 10/17/13 10:30 AM Comment [5]: Take quote out desktop support 10/17/13 10:31 AM Comment [6]: Take word out

Being a student athlete is definitely not easy, but it is worth it. The rewards the actors receive in this figure world exceed the difficulties at task. With the resources at hand like study hall and tutors, we, athletes are better able to manage and catch up on school work. A perfect example of study hall and its perks and requirements are as followed:
Throughout campus, there are designated locations that are exclusively reserved for athletes, and at these sites you are able to do school related tasks. This ranges from homework to studying, to tutoring and more. Each athlete has a certain number of hours they must get in weekly, usually ranging from 7 to 10, depending on the demands of the coaching staff of each team.

desktop support 10/17/13 10:34 AM Comment [7]: Split quote up

In this specific figured world many athletes would have to agree that there are a lot of positives, as well as negatives when it comes to study hall. A student athlete believes the following about study hall and what it brings to the table:

I find that I get distracted very easily, especially when Im alone in my own room. However, study hall provides an environment that is very much like a classroom, and I feel like this really helps me maintain focus and get my work done. Additionally, I tend to not procrastinate as much, which is definitely a good thing for me, a professional procrastinator. On the other hand, however, sometimes study hall can be a nuisance. Some weeks are lighter, and you just do not have much work. Still, though, you must get all of your hours in, and if you dont have anything to do, you will find yourself bored within minutes. Consequences from not logging enough hours range from warnings to suspensions, and this means that you definitely have to go! So to me, I maintain a love hate relationships with study hall. A good motivator, but also a big stress inducer.

Literacy Review: student success dependent on race, ethnicity, and gender Many believe the major determinant of a student athletes success is dependent upon race, ethnicity, or gender. This opinion has an effect on how faculty workers treat studentathletes.
Despite the value of student-faculty interaction, the relationship between faculty and studentathletes a Division I institutions has been quite complex and somewhat troubled over the years. Studies have revealed that some faculty hold more negative attitudes ward NCAA Division I and II than their non-athlete peers (Baucom & Lantz,2 001; Engstrom, Sedlacek, & McEwen, 1995). Similarly, an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Black student-athletes at a Division I school felt they were being marginalized and not taken seriously by White professors in the classroom and on campus (Perlmutter, 2003). Considering the importance of student-athlete engagement with faculty-to-student success, it is instructive to examine this tenuous relationship more closely.

How do we expect student- athletes to work hard in the classroom when the people who should be for them are actually against? This negative trait that is occurring in the athletic facilities will only bring negative attention to the players and sports in competitive leagues. How do we expect athletes to put the same effort they would put in their sport, in the classroom when we have no trust or belief in their abilities? It already one issue for professors not to believe in them, this is why they need the encouragement and support system of the faculty members. ` As I conclude my beliefs on this particular situation in this figured world I hope that you will intake the information you have received on this particular topic. I hope you are leaving here knowing that student athletes are not lazy, but in fact a normal person who and trying to find balance and be the best they can be in all aspects of life. Balance is not always the easiest thing to find. Before you find yourself judging a student- athlete again, try putting yourself in their shoes, try understanding their struggles, and remember everyone always wants to be the best they can be.

desktop support 10/17/13 10:38 AM Comment [8]: Great paragraph

References: Ian Martin (April 22, 2013). Athlete First, student second: Examining the life of an Iowa student athlete. Retrieved from http://www.dailyiowan.com/2013/04/22/Metro/32950.htmlShel Franco. Time Management Helps Teen Athletes Make the Grade. Retrieved from http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-teen/article-786760-how-time-management-helps-studentathletes-get-better-grades-t/ Chad Daniel (October 8, 2011). Life of a College Student Athlete. YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqzaFte8g1w Eddie Comeaux (fall, 2011). The Journal of Negro Education. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/info/41341157?&Search=yes&searchText=life&searchText=student &searchText=college&searchText=athlete&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch %3FQuery%3Dlife%2Bof%2Ba%2Bcollege%2Bstudent%2Bathlete%26acc%3Don%26wc%3D on%26fc%3Doff&prevSearch=&item=5&ttl=3491&returnArticleService=showArticleInfo Cherie S. White. Balancing Life as a Student Athlete. Retrieved from http://virtualcollegefair.blackamericaweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id =1482:balancing-life-as-a-student-athlete&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=332 Michael Brawn (April 23, 2013). Finding a Balance: College Student Athletes. Retrieved from http://sites.jmu.edu/103molloy/finding-a-balance-college-student-athletes/ Evans Otchere (September 13, 2012). Chapter 13- Student Athletes at University/College. Retrieved from World Press (September 13). Student-Scholar, Student-Athlete. Retrieved From http://sites.psu.edu/mpbboyle/ Eric Goldstein (September 11 2013). Sports Grid RSS. Do We Really Expect College Football Players To Do The Same Amount Of School Work As Regular Students? Retrieved from http://www.sportsgrid.com/tag/academics/ Ohio University (Oct 31 2011). YouTube. Retrieved From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RaJT1SG4m8 Kira Gordon (September 20 2013). Observation Notes. Retrieved from https://moodle2.uncc.edu/mod/assignment/view.php?id=130355 Annotations: Ian Martin (April 22, 2013). Athlete First, student second: Examining the life of an Iowa student athlete. Retrieved from http://www.dailyiowan.com/2013/04/22/Metro/32950.html

Ian Martin is explaining the hectic schedule of 60 wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manly. Ian explains how Kevontes day is revolved around Football and the rarity he has for other events. Exclaims the time schedule he sticks with as far a traveling, school and sports. Towards the end of the article he goes into depth on what college athletes have that normal students do not.

Shel Franco. Time Management Helps Teen Athletes Make the Grade. Retrieved from http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-teen/article-786760-how-time-management-helps-studentathletes-get-better-grades-t/

Article goes into depth on how parents can help teens with time management skills that participate in sports. Describes the day of a typical high school student athlete and its hectic time management schedule. There are three important paragraphs for lesson on the field, lessons at home, and lessons for life to help parents help their children.

Chad Daniel (October 8, 2011). Life of a College Student Athlete. YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqzaFte8g1w YouTube video made by a Furman University student athlete on how time management is a very important key to being successful college student-athlete. He has interviewed a Furman University student athlete personally. Interviewed with Furman tennis player and he asked how he manages does he go to the library, etc. He talks about how getting behind in school affects sports, vice-versa.

Eddie Comeaux (fall, 2011). The Journal of Negro Education. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/info/41341157?&Search=yes&searchText=life&searchText=student &searchText=college&searchText=athlete&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch %3FQuery%3Dlife%2Bof%2Ba%2Bcollege%2Bstudent%2Bathlete%26acc%3Don%26wc%3D on%26fc%3Doff&prevSearch=&item=5&ttl=3491&returnArticleService=showArticleInfo Eddie Comeaux has made a study of attitudes toward college student- athletes. He gives insight on the attitudes of facility members toward student- athletes. His study only includes division 1 athletes. His study found findings in the different attitudes facility members had with students of different race and gender.

Cherie S. White. Balancing Life as a Student Athlete. Retrieved from http://virtualcollegefair.blackamericaweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id =1482:balancing-life-as-a-student-athlete&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=332 This article talks about the tough side of college: juggling classes, tests, labs, late night studying etc. It goes on to explain the fun and awarding perks that people believe come with being a student- athlete. The article comes with an interview from an assistant womens college basketball coach. Gives us in depth statements on how coaches want their players to be successful both on and off the court. He explains how he has witnessed many athletes make wrong mistakes which harmed the scholarships and how it takes some longer to adjust.

Michael Brawn (April 23, 2013). Finding a Balance: College Student Athletes. Retrieved from http://sites.jmu.edu/103molloy/finding-a-balance-college-student-athletes/ Interviewed a wide variety of student athletes from different divisions. He explains the magic of time management and how time management is the main advice many give student athletes. He asked different strengths and weaknesses each had in the classroom and the grade requirements they have to maintain. He explains how having a social life is important aspect of college as well.

Evans Otchere (September 13, 2012). Chapter 13- Student Athletes at University/College. Retrieved from http://sites.psu.edu/mpbboyle/ This article explains the love hate relationship student- athletes have with study hall. It tells the different areas schools have for athletes to have study hall, tutoring, etc. A student athlete explains how easily distracted they get when studying at the dorm, verses at study hall. Explains how once you get into official season it is hard to juggle full- time athlete with full-time student.

Eric Goldstein (September 11 2013). Sports Grid RSS. Do We Really Expect College Football Players To Do The Same Amount Of School Work As Regular Students? Retrieved from http://www.sportsgrid.com/tag/academics/ This article gives opinions on how specifically basketball and football players rarely attend class. It explains some academic violations that were against OSU football and how they rarely attended class. It goes on to explain the maximum number of hours athletes can spend practicing, etc. They bring up a major point in how these hours do not include the time traveling, weight room hours, training room, etc.

Ohio University (Oct 31 2011). YouTube. Retrieved From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RaJT1SG4m8 This article gives a day in the life of a college student athlete in depth. Gives good comparison by comparing the athletes with non-student athletes. It shows the struggles as simple as having time to eat.

Kira Gordon (September 20 2013). Observation Notes. Retrieved From https://moodle2.uncc.edu/mod/assignment/view.php?id=130355 These observation notes give insight on the figured world of the Charlotte Womens Basketball Team. These observations include study hall, training room, and lifting and conditioning. It gives details of the actors and artifacts this figure world consist of.