Let's talk Student Athletes...

rocky437 · Jan 16, 2010

I live in Toronto and I made my university basketball team( a CIS team) back in September. I'm first year at Ryerson, just finished high school last June.After the first two weeks of school/being on the ball team I decided to talk to the coach and tell him I'm leaving the team. The reason was me choosingacademics over basketball. The team practices basically everyday in the evenings, shootarounds 11 AM, 7 AM practices, plus the time you gotta spend liftingweights. There's also the games, travelling etc. And I don't live on campus.

On top of this of course you have to study and do all your school work, university is no joke. How do these guys find the time to study and do well, as well asplay basketball? How can you focus on both? or maybe they don't do well in school?

Any thoughts you may have on my situation, or student athletes are appreciated.

jthagreat · Jan 16, 2010

Man USUALLY their school schedule isnt as hectic as a normal student. Like my bro was takin like 3 different types of P.E. classes and only a few reall classesduring the season. so going to practice and weight lifting was a class. he also lived on campus.

you seemed really interested in your education (as you should be) but being around my bro and his friends, school seemed to be the last thing on their minds.IDK

I say stick it out man. try it for the year. yall dont have study hall and tutors?

nako xl · Jan 16, 2010

At bigger schools with more serious sports programs a lot of student athletes tend to take drastically lighter course loads.

Speaking from personal experience my roommates (football and basketball) were all premed/econ/polisci but i went to a top academic university. they didn'thave the option of taking 3 bs classes, and had academic requirements to fulfill but during the season they never scheduled any classes they weren'tmandated to take, had strict eating/studying/work-out schedules that they followed religiously, went out once a week tops, and were in bed by 11.

A couple of them found the structured lifestyle actually helped their academics because while it left them almost no free time, they also didn't have asmuch time to bs and get distracted. i can say living with them also helped me out because i was working out eating and working out every time they did and sawbetter results and studying with them at the same times every day guaranteed i was getting all of my homework done during the week.

it's all about time management and commitment. you have to know your body and how much sleep you need each night, how much time you'll need each weekfor classes and studying, and then commit the rest to your sport.

it's really only a grind during the season but it shouldn't be much more difficult to manage than if you were a serious student majoring in more thanone concentration.