By Musa Laity
Cons- Because, you need to hear the bad news first!
1. Keeping up with schoolwork.
In order to remain a student athlete, you must pass your classes. The struggle is that you must juggle your classes, projects, and homework with other athletic things like practice, games, travelling, and study hall hours. Try doing all this while trying to remain on good terms with your coach and giving your best performance at every game. Ay! Dios mio!
2. Being broke. You might be strapped for cash, but student athletes must be careful about how they make extra money. The NCAA has ruled many normal quick cash sells as illegal. According to BuzzFeed, here’s a simple list of things you can’t do as a student athlete that would have otherwise earned you money:
Sell an old textbook if your name is written on it.
Pick up a side job that earns over $2,000 a year.
Accept money from your coach to buy a candy bar.
Accept $1 for a self-portrait that you made and are super proud of.
Sell your championship ring.
Collect workers' compensation for being paralyzed while playing your sport.
If you don’t have support from family or friends, your money-making options are limited so a lot of the time, you’re BROKE. More than the usual college student.
3. Practice can be exhausting. Waking up at 6 a.m. is one thing but, waking up at 6 a.m. five days in a row is a completely different kind of pain. Let’s not even talk about 6 a.m. practice on Saturdays.
4. Some professors make it especially hard to pass their classes.
This one is specifically for the professors that teach electives and the ones in the business department.
5. Study hall hours in the library. Before you could have had your friend sign you in, but now with the updated online sign in, things got a little trickier.
Here are the pros!
6. Getting to wear sweats all day.
Unlike the rest of the student population, it’s a little more understanding for you to always be in sweats or athletic gear. You don’t have to put too much effort into your outfits because at the end of the day, you can walk around however you want, and no one will bat an eye.
7. You basically have a guaranteed set of friends.
There’s a bond between teammates that surpasses friendship. From the day you first got to college, you knew there would be a set group of people that you would, no matter what, at least have something in common with.
8. Getting new gear from the athletic department is amazing!
That call telling you to come to the office to get your new gear is one of the best feelings ever. There’s nothing quite like trying on a brand-new pair of soccer cleats or any other new piece of athletic gear. 9. You get to travel around. Everyone loves road trips but getting to road trip with your team is a whole different feeling. It’s even better going to a new school, meeting new people (and hookups) and getting to experience a different college for a couple of days. An excuse to miss class whilst you do what you love? Say less!
10. Nothing feels better than having the coach pay for dinner.
Dinners with your teammates are great. Free dinners with your teammates are even better.
11. Nothing beats the feeling of victory.
This is why you do what you do! The joy of winning the game shared with your teammates is the best feeling.