So, if you're reading this, you are a college athlete of whatever sport it may be. Whether you run track or if you play golf, you all know the struggles of being a college athlete. These are the top ten struggles that we all feel one day or another.
1. Not having a social life.
Oh, you wanted to go out on Saturday night with all of your non-athlete friends? Aw, that's too bad. Instead, you get to spend ten or more hours at your game or meet!
2. Having to pick whether going to practice is more important than writing an essay.
We all know that school comes first, but there is always that one essay that you completely forgot about on the night of a really hard workout. That is the hardest decision to make, and even scarier is the thought of telling your coach that you can't make it to practice.
3. Having more hours of practice per week than class.
Your sport consumes your life in college, and there is really no other way of explaining this other than saying that I hope you get along with your teammates because you are with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
4. Not knowing anyone on campus besides your teammates.
Your non-athlete friends are talking about all of these people and their drama, and you're sitting there like, "Who the hell are they talking about?"
5. Being tired all the time.
You are literally practicing 25 or more hours per week. You have double practices a couple times per week, and on top of that you have three or more hours of homework. Say goodbye to sleep!
6. Not having time to take a nap in between classes.
You will start classes, then go to practice, and then go to a few more classes. I am sorry to break this to you all, but being a college athlete makes it very difficult to get that very popular college nap in every day.
7. Being sore all the time.
The workouts that you do are completely different from the ones you did in high school. They are 100 times more difficult and work different parts of your body that have never been worked before. You are going to hate stairs!
8. Basing your class schedule around practice times.
You will literally hate your life when you are picking classes because chances are you will not be able to take at least two or three of the classes that you wanted to take. This is caused by the classes only being offered once per day and that class just happens to fall on the exact time of your practice. Time to pick a new class!
9. Having to sacrifice things.
You have a meet or game tomorrow and that amazing brownie bar is just calling your name throughout your entire meal. But, you have to tell yourself that you do not need it because you will hate yourself tomorrow for it. Maybe next time.
10. Traveling endless hours on buses.
Bus rides can be fine or they can be a complete mess. Either way, you are on a bus for two or more hours every single weekend with a bunch of smelly teammates. It's quite the bonding experience!
We all face these ten struggles every now and again, but I know for a fact that none of us would change anything about being on our team. This team has provided us with amazing friends and experiences that we would not change for the world. Being a college athlete is very rewarding, even though there are some struggles.