Demaurea Moore

Odds are on the off chance that you make it to university games, you have just placed in endless hours, hard labor into the game you play. Collegiate athletics is the next step in becoming a better athlete. But collegiate athletics is like a hidden life that only the dedicated and hard workers are privileged to get to experience. There is so much diligent work, pain, and so forth, that goes on behind each student athlete. It is a full-time job to play college athletics and although the NCAA currently is against college athletes being paid, they spend endless hours working on their craft to bring in a substantial amount of income for the school.

While the average college student classes start no later than 9 a.m., most student athletes are already up at 5 or 6 a.m. practicing or lifting weights. They must schedule their classes based on practice times. They must give their all in the classroom and at practice. Bad grades mean no playing time. Student athletes also have the enjoyment of going to class sweaty and grody after early practice.

It sometimes can be difficult staying on top of all the classwork, when all you want to do is sleep. Usually the free time that the athletes have is spent in study hall getting mandatory hours or studying for tests. Some may say student athletes have it easy, but they really are the blessed ones. It’s much more than all the hours spent in practice, waking up early, frustration with coaches and average students. Being a student athlete means  to wear the school’s name on their back and represent it doing what they love. The student athlete worked hard to get where they are and stepping out on game day is worth everything.

Student athletes in a training session.

Student athletes get to meet other athletic peers their age experiencing the same journey. They get to meet other athletes that are gifted, driven, and dedicated.. Also they get a chance to make friendships and bonds with people that share a passion for the same thing. When the athlete graduates and walks across the stage knowing he or she gave  all in the classroom and in representing the university, it’s a dedication only some will come to know.

Only athletes understand what other athletes are going through. Because of that, it creates unification with other sports. When one looks back, not only will one remember specific practices, especially those they hated, they’ll remember all the good times and fun memories made doing what they love with the people they love.