We all have seen a student athlete before: a student who also plays a sport. Some people admire them; others judge them. There are so many stereotypes that come with being a student athlete. As a student athlete myself, I know how damaging those assumptions can be.
One of the biggest stereotypes is that student athletes are just “dumb jocks” rather than serious students. The type of people you don’t want to share a group project with. This stereotype often sees us as people who should only focus on our sport and not have other passions, much like Troy from “High School Musical.” Some people believe that sports are simply an easy way to get through school. While that can be true for some, there is so much more to a student athlete than them just playing a sport.
Student athletes often face more pressure than people realize. Coaches pressure us to exceed their expectations within the sport. Parents expect us to succeed both academically and athletically. And we put expectations on ourselves for trying to build a future beyond sports.
These expectations can slowly take over a person’s mindset.
You become your own biggest critic and overthink every move of your performance. This pressure from sports can also affect other parts of your daily life, especially when you don’t have enough time or space to process these strong emotions.
People often overlook the mental strain student athletes experience. Between academic priorities, outside expectations, demanding schedules, and plans for a future career, student athletes can easily feel overwhelmed.
Many of us student athletes don’t have much free time to think for ourselves. When we finally do, we’re usually exhausted. Instead of going out, we choose to rest or spend time on hobbies that help us escape from the stress for a little while
There is not always a real mental break.
Although we choose to play a sport in college, it’s also an opportunity for many of us that we can’t easily pass. Sports can provide scholarships, personal growth, or even an escape from difficult situations. Not every student athlete only focuses on athletics. Many actually care about their education and future goals outside of sports.
I think that people need to rethink their perception of student athletes. This is not to say that non-athletes don’t struggle, either. However, the stereotype that student athletes only care about their sport is unfair and often untrue. Sports are a major part of our lives, but many of us still work hard academically and personally every day.
I cannot speak for every student athlete, but I know many of them put in an incredible amount of effort. The next time you see a student athlete maintaining a 4.0 GPA or graduating summa cum laude, understand that those accomplishments required an enormous amount of discipline, sacrifice, and hard work.
