We are half way through the second week after the end of our season and by this time, the student-athletes that I coach are probably settling into a routine that doesn't include being together and on the soccer field for 5 days a week. It's the first real period of downtime since mid-August so hopefully they are working hard on their studies and healing up all the accumulated aches and pains from the season. They will be back in the weight room as of next week, preparing for the winter season and come early January, back to training on the soccer pitch albeit at a less hectic and demanding pace. University Student-Athletes. They have a perfect life. They receive tons of gear, get special attention from professors, have tons of friends and have unique privileges that no other students have. This is the image that a majority of people have about university student athletes. I was never a university student-athlete, but being in my 16th year coaching at Concordia, www.stingers.ca gives me a realistic insight into what my athletes and those on other team might go through in a typical academic year. While situations might change from team to team or university to university, there is a certain constant that I am sure any individual who participates in university sport goes through. Here is what it is really like to be a student-athlete in university… To a degree, university-athletes are always in season. Yes, everyone thinks there are only a certain number of games and your season lasts for a few months. Some sports only play in the fall and some are stretched over the entire school year. Generally the longer seasons have games spread out over a longer period of time and have less back to back games, but the fact is that for the rest of the year athletes have to ( or maybe in some cases, should be training because let's be realistic, slackers exist everywhere) train to be in the best shape possible for “the season”. They have to eat healthy, workout every day and keep practicing in order to maintain skills, endurance and strength. Days are long are stressful, however, classmates doesn’t think realize because they only see a student-athlete carrying out the study portion of their reality.. But what classmates don’t understand is that maybe the student-athlete had an early morning lifting session or practice, or got home late from a road game. That maybe the student-athlete has to rush out from class to practice, or any of the other responsibilities associated with the athlete side of their existence. They can’t skip class even though they are exhausted from waking up before sunrise every day that week, because if you skip, it might go against team rules and exclude them from practice. So they attend class, and maybe after try to squeeze in lunch or maybe a 20 minute nap before heading back to the gym or field for practice. They will go through a 2 or 3 hour training session, cool down, maybe an ice batch, hang out with teammates for a bit, and then the day is done, but wait, they are now physically and mentally exhausted, but still have to get home shower, eat, and study or do homework before you finally getting to bed, only to wake up in a few short hours to do it all over again. That's on the assumption, they can sleep and don't lay in bed looking ahead to the next game, wondering if they will dress, start or play. Their every move is watched. There is no room to mess up/ There is the stereotype that student-athletes are exempt from having real responsibilities. What many don’t know is that there are responsibilities that are unique to student-athletes that adds to the pressure. Many they are from out of town or province, away from friends and family which for many is their connection to normalcy. They might be on scholarship, but lose their spot on the team, they lose the financial support and for some, that might mean not being able to pay for school. Male money to help with expenses by working? When would that be, before a full day of classes, lifting and practice. They are student-athletes, so coaches will ( should) emphasize that school comes first, and they have to do well in classes but can't use the excuse of being up until 3 a.m studying for a test as a reason to slack off in practice. It's a never-ending cycle of finding a balance between being a student and being an athlete. They rarely ever get a break. Coach canceled practice today, doesn't mean its a day off. They have to go to the athletic training room for rehab on that constant ache and pain, have to take the recruit around and convince them to play at the university. They might have to meet the coach, watch film for the game that upcoming week. Free time is filled doing something associated with their sport, so when practice is cancelled, is it really cancelled? They don’t have many friends, as they schedule forces them miss a majority of the social events especially during the competitive season. Often too tired in and after class to mingle, most free is time is consistently spent with teammates. Let's be honest, put a group of people together for extended periods of time, in competitive situations, mix in fatigue, stress, and desire to perform, there are going to be conflicts, disagreements and some drama, even if nothing major. So these close friends, well sometime you need a break from them also. They might have many people on the outside consider great privileges. However to earn these, they have to go to every class, do well in school in order to stay on the team, can't miss practice or any team event. To be successful, they have to eat healthy, work out on top of practicing and be able find time for sleep sometimes on demand. They have to take care of their bodies to prevent injuries, miss social events for practice and games and carry the responsibility of being a very public face on their university ( and not just athletically ) every time they head out anywhere wearing the school's official colors. That's the reality of the student-athlete but I a am sure most do it gladly because they love the sport and because they get to create shared experiences with individuals that will become their closest friends for life. Yes, there is recognition and sometimes a little glory, yes there are certain benefits that come with being a student-athlete, but they are earned through hard work and commitment.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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