Being a college athlete comes with its fair share of stereotypes. We've just about heard it all. College athletes are just a bunch of self-obsessed, privileged jocks. Perhaps with a little insight into the life of a college athlete, we can prove the common misconceptions wrong.
1. We are too cocky.
Confidence is key in the world of sports. If you do not believe that you are going to perform well or win the game, you are most likely going to perform poorly or lose. Therefore, college athletes tend to be rather confident individuals. However, while some may be a little too conceited, college athletes are not typically cocky. When they tell you about the game they just won or how good they felt they did, they are not trying to brag. It has taken them years of practice and training to develop the confidence they have in their sport today; let them be proud of that.
2. We only associate with other athletes.
Every time you see that athlete in your class walking around campus, she is always walking with the same people, who also happen to be athletes. Because of this, you assume that athletes are the only people she hangs out with. Consider that this girl may be coming to class from practice every day, so she is walking with her teammates. Consider, athletes have the same busy schedules, so they often find themselves traveling to the same places at the same time. Also, consider that, yes, sports teams are very tight knit, so the athletes end up becoming close friends. But even though our teammates are near and dear to our hearts, we do not discriminate.
3. We receive special treatment.
As mentioned before, the schedule of a college athlete is a very specific and busy one. In order to keep up with this hectic schedule, the student often requires certain class times and letters that excuse them from class. The next time you find yourself annoyed at the boy that got to pick his classes before everyone else, think about how he will have a two-hour 8 a.m. practice before he has to run to class. Think about how while you are sleeping in, he has to set his alarm clock for 6 a.m. Also, the next time you find yourself annoyed at the girl who was excused from class again. Think about all the work she has to make up. Think about how while you are in class reviewing for your midterm, she is on a six-hour bus ride traveling for a game. Student athletes don't receive "special treatment," they receive the help that is much needed to keep up with the demands of their sport.
4. We look down on "NARPs."
Because a common misconception about college athletes is that they are cocky, it is also common for people to think that they believe they are superior to NARPs (non-athletic regular people). This couldn't be anymore untrue. If anything, athletes are jealous of NARPs. They wish that they could wear something other than athletic clothes every day or eat dinner at a reasonable hour. They also understand that even though someone may not play a sport, that does not mean their lives are easy or aren't busy. Athletes are well aware of all the other clubs, plays, or activities other students are involved in, and they respect that everyone has their own thing that they enjoy doing, just like them.
5. We only care about athletics, not academics.
If academics were not important to college athletes, they would not be attending college in the first place. Even though they may enjoy their sport more than their science classes, that does not mean they don't care about their academic responsibilities. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be up until 4 a.m. every night studying or finishing papers because practice went late again. While they are extremely dedicated to their sport and are very passionate about it, they understand that academics come first and are their number-one priority. They understand that being able to play their sport is a privilege that college has provided them with.
We love our sports, but they don't define us.
