Being a college athlete is not all what you think it is. There are benefits and there are downside. You may think we have it all; from getting new gear, getting out of lectures, pushing tests back, to having special privileges. As a collegiate athlete myself, I'm here to tell you what it is really like to be a student athlete.
You're up before sunrise. You're up before everyone on campus. Having 6 a.m. weights and conditioning, means waking up at 5 a.m. for breakfast and to hydrate and honestly to prepare yourself for what conditioning lies ahead.
With that being said, weights and conditioning is only the start of your very long day. The NARPs (Non-Athletic Regular People) of the class think their lives are so hard and they are oh so tired. They have 8 a.m. class, their last class ends at 2 p.m., they get to nap before they go to work, come back from work and unwind before starting homework. Rough! In a collegiate athletes' world, after weights you go straight to eating a meal with tons of protein, off to class in sweaty clothing, home to take a shower and maybe nap before work, if you can find the time. Once you have come home from work, you do homework. It is even worse on practice nights. Practice sometimes doesn't get over until 9 p.m. and you're loaded with homework and the cycle starts over with waking up at 5 a.m.
Most people don't know this, but your every move is watched. If you miss class without a proper excuse, not only you, but your team is going to run. As a student athlete, coaches will emphasize how important school is and that you better do your best. Your performance during practice is a slight determination of your playing time, your grades are everything. They'll determine if you even get to sit on the bench. Your coach will check up on you in class, email your professor or get grade and attendance checks, so go to class.
Even if you think you have caught a break from the "no practice" or "no weights" text, you really didn't. Just because something has been canceled, doesn't mean you get a free day. You will be required to see the trainer for ice, STIM, or heat. You will be told to us the cold and hot tubs. After the tubs, you MUST roll out any sore or tight spots. And to make coach proud, you run and lift on your own.
Finally, a lot of people believe you've got it easy and you are just over exaggerating. Season really isn't just four months, there are not just 18 games and soccer is not just in the fall. Being a collegiate athlete, your season is all year. Yes, all year. Season is in the fall ending around November, giving you a nice break for Christmas, but you still need to workout for when spring season starts. The first day of second semester is the first day of spring season. Spring season ends right before finals. You may think you have a the whole summer to relax, but no, you don't. With the couple weeks you don't have soccer, it is your time to move out of the dorms and settle in at home. Yes, you still need to workout. Summer workouts are right around the corner.
Being tired 365 days, I'd say is worth it, because I'm doing something I love. I do it for the feeling you get when you hear the first whistle, the feeling of hearing a crowd behind you, and the feeling of wearing a jersey. So when people complain they are tired all the time, yawn it off with them and continue to do what you do best.
