Athletes balance sports and academics

Staying on top of your game in the classroom and on the game field can be tough when you're a student athlete in college.

At times it can be tough balancing school and sports, according to Joe Sleeman, 19, a sophomore business major from Rochester, N.Y.

"Coaches try and give us advice and make sure we get our work done, because everyone knows academics always comes before athletics," he said.

Seth Knihtal, 19, a sophomore civil engineer from Westminster, Mass., says time management is his biggest issue as a student athlete. "I try and do my homework in between classes or whenever I have free time," he said.

"To be successful you need to spend as much time studying as you can," said Charles Maxwell, 21, a senior business major from Rochester, N.Y. "It's really hard to catch up in a class after falling behind, especially when you play a sport."

Students spend anywhere from four to six hours a week on sports, which is not including games or traveling to away games, according to student athletes.

Every sport has multiple away games each season. Most away games involve traveling time of two to four hours. Having to travel that much means less time for studying, according to student athletes.

"Having away games on the weekdays is tough, because you leave at 10 to travel and you miss class," Sleeman said. "But as long as you go and see your professors on what you missed they're pretty understanding and will help you out."

Using your time wisely is key, said Knihtal. "If you've got a four-hour bus ride to your away game, bring a book to read or something to do to stay on top of work."

Being a student athlete helps you become a well rounded person, according to Maxwell. "It helps you learn how to separate your professional life from other things. When you play a sport, things happen on the field but as soon as you leave the pitch, you leave everything behind. It's important not to let your professional life interfere with your game, and that's a hard lesson to learn."

Choosing to play a sport in college limits the time you have to yourself during the season, according to Sleeman. "There's still times where you're not so busy and you can just sit and relax."

Juggling classroom time and game time is a tough combination, but with dedication and managing time wisely students can do it successfully.

"You have to have a plan set aside from the start, to know when you're going to be devoting your time to your sport and doing your school work. Because if you don't have it set up and know what you're doing it's an easy way to fall behind," Sleeman said.