The toughest opponent student-athletes face isn’t always on the field or in the game. It’s the constant challenge of balancing academics, practices and personal life.
“In ‘student-athlete,’ the student role must always take priority,” said Wayne Edwards, a University of New Haven professor. Edwards said that the biggest challenges student-athletes face are time management and mental health pressures. Balancing classes, training, travel and expectations can be overwhelming, but communication between athletes and professors makes an enormous difference.
“It’s a two-way street,” Edwards said. Professors who understand the unique demands of athletes can help reduce stress and create a healthier balance between academics and athletics.
Robert Holub, director of the university’s esports program, said esports players have similar challenges. For example, their practices often run until midnight, and that schedule can create conflicts with classes, sleep and time management.
“People underestimate how much skill and discipline it takes,” Holub said.
“Esports players may not run sprints or lift weights, but the mental stamina required for long hours of practice and competition is just as demanding,” he said. Students in his program must learn to juggle schoolwork, jobs and team obligations. As with traditional athletes, they also deal with stereotypes and misconceptions about their sport.
CJ Taddio, who plays for the school’s club hockey team, said his strategy for balance is staying ahead of his work.
“I like to get the gym out of the way early in the day and do homework during the day,” he said.
By the time practice or games begin, he has already finished his assignments and can then enjoy what he says is the best part of being on a team, the camaraderie.
“Despite the serious aspect of games, we always have fun. It’s never boring,” said Taddio. The friendships built in hockey extend off the ice and create bonds that make the workload easier. Those relationships, he said, are just as valuable as the lessons learned in the classroom.
Transfer exercise science student and track and field team member Alan Murray agreed.
“The demands of practice and competition push me to develop skills I know will benefit me long after graduation,” said Murray, and the lessons go beyond time management.
“You learn how to handle pressure, stay motivated, and adapt when things don’t go your way. Those lessons apply to every part of life, not just sports,” said Murray.
Murray believes teamwork and leadership skills from athletics carry over into group projects, internships, and even social life on campus.
