4:30 a.m.
Alarm goes off. Time to get up, get dressed and walk to the track.
5:00 a.m.
Coaches whistle blows, you hear "Get on the line," and it's time to push your body to the limit for the next hour.
7:00 a.m.
Quickly walk to the campus cafeteria to eat before class.
8:00 a.m.
Sit down in your class, open a notebook, and begin taking notes.
12:00 p.m.
30 minute break to eat lunch in-between class.
3:00 p.m.
Head to the field for practice. 3:30pm, huddle together for a team "break" then run to your position. You will hustle, sweat, and sacrifice your body for the next 3 hours.
6:30 p.m.
Quickly wash off, change clothes, and eat dinner.
7:00 p.m.
Walk into the library, sit at a desk/computer. Stay in the library until all assignments are complete, usually means you will be there until 11 p.m.
11:30 p.m.
Double check everything for the day is complete and prepare your workout clothes for the next day.
12:00 a.m.
Get some sleep and repeat.
College student athletes spend their entire day working to better themselves in school and their sport. They are up before the sun is and go to bed after everyone else. Student athletes push their minds and bodies to new limits everyday to insure they are successful in every aspect. It is a full time job for these athletes to keep up with their sport and their classes.
Often times, people who are not college athletes don't understand what a normal athlete goes through on a daily basis. People tend to forget not only do athletes go to class all day just as they do, but athletes wake up 3 hours earlier to get their workouts in, and go to bed 3 hours later to make sure their studies are done.
On holiday breaks, if the athlete gets to go home, family and friends ask, "Why don't you have a job?" "So you go out a lot?" "How're those college parties?" Truth is, most athletes are lucky if they have time to keep a job during the school year. They don't get to go out with friends often, and certainly don't get to party like most college athletes. They don't have the luxury of free time. Free time isn't even in the vocabulary of a collegiate athlete.
When school is not in session athletes are not only training, but they are also working as much as they can to make up for not working during the school year. This often means working multiple jobs during the summer and not ever having a day or much of a summer break.
College athletes deserve more credit than often is given to them. They are among the hardest working people out there. They work 365 days a year whether it is school, in season training, off season training, or three jobs in the summer. So here's to all the student-athletes out there working hard to better yourself! Keep on keepin' on!
