Athletes balance grades with games
Keeping up with schoolwork and sports responsibilities is a tough daily commitment for student-athletes.
The college life of a student-athlete at GC&SU or any other university is a lot harder than most regular students that are not involved in a sports team. Besides going to classes in the morning, athletes have to attend to hours of daily practices in the afternoon (sometimes early in the morning, before classes) and occasionally night classes. There is not much time left to study at home or to do any other kind of activity an average student normally does.
“Frequently I have to study in the bus on the way to tournaments because I do not have enough time to keep up with my school obligations at home,” said senior student-athlete Marcelo Ferreira.
Missing a lot of classes is another issue students involved in sports have to deal with. The GCSU Men’s Tennis team for example, will have 14 away matches this semester and numerous classes will be missed.
“Most of my teachers are fine with my absences because of away matches, unless I do not talk to them about it few days earlier,” Ferreira said.
“I also try to turn in all my school work prior to the due dates so I do not have way too much stuff to study in the bus and hotels. I have less time to study than everybody else,” Ferreira said.
Teachers are usually very understandable about student-athletes missing classes or assignments.
“Since these students are representing the school, I have no problem with their absences because of away games,” said Spanish Professor Anisio Santos. “I usually let them attend one of my classes at a different time where they are able to come.”
Besides working hard on the courts, tracks or fields, GCSU’s coaches want their athletes to work just as hard in the classroom. Coaches to their pupils an Academic Progress Report that students have to get their professors to sign. Usually teachers have to report absences, grades and participation in class to coaches.
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), one of the organizations that rules collegiate sports, in order for students to play, they have to be reasonably good at school as well. Students are required to have an annual cumulative GPA of 1.8 for the freshman year and 1.9 for the sophomore year. Juniors and seniors will need a GPA of 2.0 or higher. International students, in order to keep their waivers, will need an overall GPA of at least 2.5.
“I think that a GPA requirement of 2.5 is good thing to do,” said sophomore student-tennis player from Brazil Marjorie Ceppo. “It motivates me to study more and get higher grades, so I do not get ineligible to play.”
According to the Infopage, GCSU placed a school-record of 67 student-athletes on the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll. Any student-athlete with a GPA of 3.0 or better for an entire academic year is named to the honor roll.
Women’s Tennis led the way with a perfect 100 percent, as all seven Bobcat players held over a 3.0 GPA for the year. Men’s Tennis was next at 80 percent, with eight of ten players making the honor roll. The overall GPA for all sports at GCSU this year was 2.8, and there were 13 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring semester.
“Being a student-athlete is very difficult to manage,” said sophomore and tennis player Erick Siqueira. “But I think it will help me to have a better time management on my profession in the future.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Mar 3 2006. Filed under Sports.
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