The lives of student athletes’ are often more complex and strenuous than what most people would perceive it to be. Being a good student and being a good athlete both take a significant amount of time and effort and can sometimes conflict with each other. This can be further complicated through the presence of various injuries and medical problems related to being an athlete. In a questionnaire sent out by The Thunderbolt, students were able to discuss lesser known issues related to being an athlete, and how it has affected them and their teams.
A significant challenge described by many respondents is the amount of time they have to dedicate to athletic activities, whether with the team or without. The general schedule for student athletes during their sport season consists of: going to school from morning to early afternoon, homework/conditioning/break time between school and practice (except on game days which take the entire afternoon), practice/games midafternoon, then homework/conditioning/other activities during the evening and often at nighttime. Even during off days and the offseason, a significant amount of time is allotted to conditioning to stay in shape. The packed schedules leave less time for student athletes to work on their schoolwork and other obligations, and even less time to spend on their personal lives. The scheduling can also consume a lot of energy as described by Karine Chan (12), a cross country and track athlete who states: “practice everyday after school was also extremely strenuous and going home so tired and worn out from the day made it difficult to focus on homework.” The time balance between school and sport related activities has also been problematic for some athletes, as sports related activities take up a large portion of a student’s daily schedule. A basketball player stated that “There were definitely times where I was up at 3am trying to either finish an essay or project that was due the next day.” Keefer Yip (12), a badminton player adds that “It can be difficult, as sometimes I have hours of work or studying to do and can be tempted to skip practice or leave early. Alex Sin (10), another badminton player states that “after coming back from sports you usually feel a lack of motivation because of the fatigue that results from practice.” The physical exertion from athletic activities can leave some very tired after events which can affect other daily activities. An anonymous student stated that “After hours at the gym and practice I can get emotionally and physically drained leaving me unable to interact with family and friends.” Naomi Wong (12), a volleyball player adds that “With games and tournaments, it takes extra time out from studying and doing homework, [so] there will be late nights and there will be head pounding headaches in the morning.” Unfortunately many athletes were forced to make difficult choices on how to spend their limited amount of free time, which led to certain activities being limited or cut out. A soccer player describes the academic limitations that she faces as a student athlete, stating: “In past years I’ve wanted to take dual-enrollment classes or get a job but wasn’t able to because I had sports for most days after school.” Karine Chan explained the social limitations that were placed on her as an athlete, stating: “It kind of diminished my social life. I am naturally not the smartest kid in school, so during cross country or track season, I would have to spend any free time I had studying and attempting to catch up in classes.” These time management related issues are often not seen unless someone knows the athlete well. Many student athletes have reported some sort of disconnect with their friends and family due to their sport as well. It can be difficult for athletes to find time for themselves or even have the energy to do things outside of their sport and other responsibilities. Time management is often a significant mental strain on a student athlete, which can be worsened by physical strain.
Depending on the sport you play, certain types of minor and severe injuries can occur during athletic activities, which can have consequences for both the player and the team. While people may know an injury that a student athlete endured, they often don’t fully know the full extent of the effects of the injury. The most common type of severe injury reported are on the knee and ankle ligaments, which often goes through the most amount of strain when someone is practicing or competing. Although not common, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and meniscus tears were reported across several sports which had adverse effects on both the players on the team. A Mills basketball player tore her meniscus and missed most of the season. She was a starting player who filled a role that the team needed and struggled to adjust to after the injury. She is currently recovering, but will have to go through rehabilitation and conditioning in order to play at the same level. A torn ACL on a Mills badminton player prevented them from playing for a year, and eventually caused them to quit the sport. One Mills football player broke his ankle and was forced to be sidelined for 6-7 months, although he still showed up to practices and games. Concussions have also been an issue for players in certain sports such as volleyball and soccer, which can have effects on a player both on and off-field. A Mills volleyball player endured a concussion during her junior year, which forced her to leave school for a week. She described having difficulties catching up with schoolwork when she returned which caused a significant amount of stress. Although not as severe, plenty of minor injuries happen to the vast majority of players across all sports. The most common minor injuries described are tendonitis, joint sprains, cramping, and soreness. Tendonitis is the inflammation of the connecting tissue between muscles and bones which can cause irritation and pain on various joints. Volleyball players endre rotator cuff tendonitis from repeated arm motions. The rotator cuffs can become really irritated, but most players are able to rest, ice the joint, and play through the injury. Soccer players usually get tendonitis on their knees and shins, but are able to play though with knee and leg braces. Tendonitis can also prevent swimmers from using certain strokes that would increase strain on their bodies. Ankle and wrist sprains are very common among basketball players; although most players are able to play through their injuries, it has a significant effect on their game performance. Cramping is a very common phenomenon across all sports. Gabriel Solano, a swim team member, described his experience with cramps, stating “it feels like sometimes I can’t walk because I can’t breathe or it’s in my leg and I can only feel my leg hurting.” Soreness is also very common among all sports. In golf, extended periods of play can cause back soreness, which can make other activities difficult. Certain contact sports, such as water polo and football, can have players endure bruising from physical contact from opposing teammates. Shin splints are very common among track and cross country athletes, which can cause severe pain and make it very difficult to walk or run. Even communal diseases can pose a threat to certain teams, especially in contact sports. The girl’s basketball team has to deal with the flu, which can spread across the team and take multiple players out, depleting their roster. Unfortunately, injuries are an unavoidable aspect of all competitive sports. Depending on the type or severity of the injury, a person or team can be affected in different ways, sometimes even altering their lives outside of sports. Many injuries can be hidden to the naked eye, but the symptoms still affect the student athlete. These types of physical strains can also contribute to the worsening of mental strains that a student may face, which can lead to mental health issues.
The strains that come actively competing in a sport can have adverse effects on a student athlete’s mental health. These effects can range from motivation issues, stress, and other issues which negatively affect the health and performance of a student-athlete. Being a good student and a good athlete requires a significant amount of time and effort, which can cause athletes to develop motivation issues. Many respondents said that obligations outside of the sport, particularly schoolwork, can cause some to become less motivated to train and compete in that sport. When describing her motivation issues, a volleyball player states that “it’s difficult to stay motivated since the season feels long especially near the end. It’s tiring especially with long practices and two games a week during the peak of the season.” The end of season motivation problems are common, with a basketball player adding “[the end] is the hardest part of the season because I’m tired and it’s hard to keep going to practice every day. At that point, you’ve been practicing, playing, and keeping up with school work nonstop for about 6 months now.” Expectations can also play a role in motivation-related issues as, according to Sophia Baltasar (12), a swim team member, “There would be times where I felt I was unable to meet the expectations of my teammates, coaches, teachers, and parents. My grades began to slip, my times failed to drop, and I couldn’t seem to find any motivation to improve myself anymore.” The pressures from expectations also play a large role in the high amounts of stress that student-athletes face. When commenting on stress, Baltasar adds that “ When I was younger, I was scared of swimming in meets since I was always afraid I would disappoint my coaches and swim teammates.” The single largest source of stress for student-athletes comes from school-sport balance and time management issues. On balancing school and sport, Keefer Yip commented that “There have been times where I’ve felt overwhelmed with the amount of homework I have to do and the studying I need to do, so it has clouded my mind and made me constantly worry about it during practice.” Ryan Kwong (12), a basketball player adds that “At the beginning as an underclassman it seems very stressful because you want to have your homework and school-related stuff done so you can focus on your sport, but as you get older it becomes easier to balance.” Playing a sport has also been a source of stress relief for some as according to Vivan Kwan (12), a badminton and volleyball player, “sports was always a good stress reliever if I was feeling stressed because of school. It always distracted me and kept my mind off the things that were stressing me.” Some students have said that they dealt with depression and anxiety related to their performance while playing; a few were down after a bad loss or continual stress from playing and other activities, others feel anxiety before matches because of expectations that were placed on them. Various mental health issues can develop or worsen when a student plays a sport. However, most athletes are able to adjust and accommodate to these mental health strains and even find some mental health relief through playing sports, particularly stress. Many of the problems described through this article are often not fully visible to people who aren’t aware of the lives of student-athletes. A lack of understanding about these issues from others can contribute to these issues above. A good way to help reduce the challenges is to be aware of and understand the personal problems that these athletes may face.
Even though all of the physical and mental strain that student-athletes endure, nearly all student-athletes find some value in playing a sport. As previously stated it gives mental relief for some people. Those who play at a high level, gain access opportunities within the sport they play, such as exclusive activities, connections to higher-level people within the sport, and even athletic scholarships to certain colleges. Some value the life skills that playing a sport can provide, such as time management, discipline, teamwork, and self-improvement. However, the largest benefit to athletics has been the connections and friendships developed between athletes, coaches, and other people within their sport. If you are thinking about playing a sport for the first time or giving up on one, the pains and challenges that you endure will allow you to gain something greater.
