“The idea persists that student-athletes have a free pass when it comes to academics and don’t put in as much effort as their non-athlete peers,” LU track senior Chloe Rodriguez said. “In reality, the rigorous schedule of practices, travel and competition requires student athletes to develop superior time-management skills.”
Eight Lamar college athletes dispelled preconceptions and provided insights into their everyday lives for faculty and staff at the panel discussion “Flip the Script,” Nov. 19, in the Galloway Business Building Auditorium.
“I live in Lumberton and wake up around 5 a.m. everyday,” softball senior Kalyn Xayaseng said. “We have weights in the morning and sometimes community services after that. Then I have class from 9:35 to 12:35. I rush over to the field, eat lunch and get treatment. After treatment, I have to rush back to my class. After class, I go to practice. When I get home, I eat dinner, walk my dog and do homework. That’s how I balance academics.”
Junior sprinter Keasia Hall said that with practice, away games and travel, faculty support is essential for student athletes to succeed.
“There are professors who understand the many challenges that we face as student athletes and provide us with the help we need,” she said. “I have a personal experience with a professor who allowed me to do an exam early. Some of them provide extra tutoring and additional academic resources.”
Track senior Patrick Wolf is from Denmark and said coming from another country adds an extra burden. In 2022, international student athletes made up 13 % of Division I athletes, according to the NCAA.
Wolf said cultural differences, language barriers and being far from home can be “intimidating” for international athletes.
“It’s a lot,” he said. “My whole support network that I’ve known all my life is back home, many hours away. It’s a seven-hour time difference and if I need them, they’re not always right there.”
A 2023 NCAA Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study found that 28% of student-athletes feel overwhelmed. Glennis Woolridge, track junior, said she feels constant pressure to perform both in academics and athletics.
“It’s important with this mental struggle that universities provide good access for student athletes,” she said. “And I believe Lamar does.”
Lamar University offers counseling for all students in the Student Health Center and recently introduced TimelyCare, a free online support service that is available 24/7.
“It’s a continuous education process,” Lamar athletics director Jeff O’Malley said. “Make resources available, keep your doors open and get them help if they need it. It’s really important for everybody to understand the time demands on our student athletes and how much effort they put into their school work and in being an athlete. They take both very seriously — and it’s good to get that message out.”
For more on student athlete’s mental health, lamaruniversitypress.com/2024/11/athletics-books-balls-and-breakdowns.