Student athletes: Get the most out of your education

You wake up before the sun rises, get dressed and head to practice seven days a week. Monday through Friday, you leave your first practice to go to class, grab lunch and come back for your second practice. Two or three hours later, you head back for a class or two and then rush to film sessions or get to the training room for extra lifts. Then, it’s nine hours before you have to get up again, and you’ve yet to eat dinner or begin any of your assignments. Welcome to the life of a student athlete ­— a life that I chose to pursue through cross-country and track.

Some student athletes think schools force them to abandon their studies in pursuit of this athletic success, though. On Jan. 22, two former student athletes at the University of North Carolina have sued the school, claiming their athletic endeavors deprived them of a “meaningful education,” according to Businessinsider.com. In the case of the UNC lawsuit, both former student athletes were female basketball players. 

The defense in the UNC case provides reports of the times their basketball players spent practicing. Most that responded to the report said they practice 30 to 40 hours a week. However, athletes are only allowed to practice 20 hours per week, according to NCAA compliance standards. The lawsuit recognizes that the extra 20-plus hours are considered voluntary. But, by saying these extra hours are “voluntary,” UNC coaches could get away with forcing their players to practice as much as 42 hours per week. If a student athlete missed one of these sessions for class or to complete an assignment, they could very well be out of their starting spot. 

Through athletic scholarships, some student athletes can attain a higher level of education because of their athletic abilities, which is fantastic. These students are notably talented, athletically, and get recruited to revered schools where they have a chance to gain a deeper education than if they only applied based on academics. After a student athletes’ years of eligibility are finished, which typically run the four years time needed to earn a degree  and they — not so surprisingly — haven’t “made it” professionally, their education is there for them. 

The chance of a female basketball player making it professionally is 0.9 percent, according to the NCAA. The decision to attend a university should involve some thought of what this student athlete will do after their collegiate athletic career is over. This deliberation is solely the student athlete’s responsibility. It is not the coach’s responsibility, or the parents’ or even the university’s.

According to CollegeParents.org, for every one credit, two hours of work per week per class outside of the class are necessary to succeed. A full-time student has at least 12 credits, which totals to 24 hours of studying. Totaling time for practice, competition, proper sleep, eating and attending class, a student athlete has around three hours a week for school. The 21 hours missing for student athletes creates big problems for their GPAs, eligibility and, more importantly, their futures.    

Although the schedule is tough, depending on the university, student athletes receive academic and athletic benefits as a type of compensation for the time they have dedicated to their sport. At the University of North Carolina, student athletes can take advantage of priority scheduling, free tutoring, access and transportation to volunteering events, free university game admission and scholarships. There are coaches, tutors and advisers throwing opportunities to every student athlete. The student athlete can hit them or miss them, but it is ultimately their responsibility to put academics first and athletics second. 

Importance placed on academics differs from school to school, but each student is responsible to make time for their school work, whether that means doing homework on bus rides or taking the minimal number of credits necessary.  Athletic coaches are not responsible for making sure their athletes succeed off the field. The life of a student athlete is a life of balance for which only one person is responsible. I am currently double-majoring, minoring in French and actively involved in five organizations, in addition to practicing every day and competing most weekends. Success on and off the field is not impossible, but it is difficult. 

Student athletes deserve a “meaningful education,” but they should be held liable for making sure they receive it, just like any other student. Student athletes who fail to dedicate themselves should not blame the university for their failure. 

Email Rebecca at rcp30@pitt.edu