Being A Student Athlete At The University Of Alabama | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Being A Student Athlete At The University Of Alabama

From balancing early or late night practices, with classes and study hall it's hard to imagine having any free time.

112
Being A Student Athlete At The University Of Alabama
Rolltide.com

The University of Alabama is well known for its many successful sports programs. From our 16-time National Championship winning football team to our very successful softball team, to the sports teams that get less glory than the others, one thing that many people forget is that our athletes are also college students. As a non-athlete, I can't even imagine having the crazy schedule that athletes do. From balancing early or late night practices, with classes and study hall it's hard to imagine having any free time.

As I was so interested in the lives of student-athletes, I interviewed a few to get a better sense of their average day.

Charlie Corbett - Alabama Hockey


Bailey Green – Women’s Club Lacrosse

Bailey is #14 in the middle.

Margy McCarthy – Women’s Swimming and Diving

Can you describe, in detail, what a typical day consists of? (Practice schedule, how you work in classes, etc.)

CC: "Typically a day would start with waking up to eat some breakfast then go to class somewhere during the day (depending on when your classes are) find a time to work out and do homework then once we're done with classes later on in the day, around 7 p.m. we leave for the rink. It's about a 45-55 minute drive to the rink, but we practice from 8:30 to 10 p.m. and then come home around 11:15-11:30 p.m."

BG: “I take classes earlier in the day to make room for practice. We practice Monday and Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. and Thursday from 8-10 p.m. Thursdays are tricky for me because I get out of class at 6:15 and have to be ready for practice by 7:40, so it's hard to fit dinner and homework in there.”

MM: “Monday, Wednesday and Friday — wake up around 6:30 a.m. brush my teeth, get dressed and head to the pool for morning practice which is usually at 7 a.m. The team usually does a bit of dry land work, which consists of flips, running, abs, belt work, trampoline work and board work. It usually takes around 30-40 minutes. After, we head to the pool. The workouts in the morning typically go from 7-8:30/9 a.m. After I head back to my dorm where I shower, eat breakfast and then head to class at 10. All of my classes finish at 11:50 or 12:15 so after class I go back to my dorm to either take a nap or do my homework. Then around 1:40 p.m. I walk to the pool for practice, which starts at 2 p.m. Our dry land is usually similar to the mornings taking around 30-40 minutes each. The water workout is heavier than the morning simply because we have more time. When we get done varies between all of us divers. The teachers are usually flexible with our schedule and we have tutors that are always willing to help us.”

What is your favorite part about being a student-athlete?

CC: "My favorite part about being a student-athlete is the interaction and opportunity to meet new people."

BG: “I love being involved in something on campus. Having a uniform that says Alabama on it really makes me feel like I'm connected to the university, and I proudly represent it. My two best friends that I've made here are teammates and that's pretty cool.”

MM: “My favorite part about being a student-athlete is that I get to meet so many other athletes and be surrounded with some of the top athletes in the country. Alabama sports are so good. I always meet new people and it's awesome seeing how their sport works and seeing how much they love doing what they do.”

What do you think is the biggest challenge about being a student-athlete?

CC: "The biggest challenge of being a student-athlete is definitely making sure you don't fall behind on your school work. It is taking time out of your day to make sure that your school work stays up to date."

BG: “The biggest challenge about being a student-athlete is definitely time management. You sacrifice a lot of free time and weekends for practice and tournaments. Balancing school, a sport, adult life and sometimes a job or sorority or fraternity while trying to find time to relax can get overwhelming.”

MM: “The biggest challenge I would say is the time commitment. All of us spend so much time inside our sport that it definitely gets challenging trying to do homework and study. Although teachers are flexible trying to fit everything in, it is so hard.”

What made you choose Alabama? Was it for your sport or your love for the school?

CC: "I chose Alabama for the love of the school as well as the hockey team. It gives me a chance to study at a highly-ranked school all while playing a sport that I love."

BG: “I chose Alabama for the university itself, but was already hoping to join the lacrosse program. A girl from my high school was already down here on the team, so I really looked forward to it, but it was definitely not the reason I came here.”

MM: “I chose Alabama because the coach is great and the team is even better. The divers are so cool and were so welcoming when I first came here. The team atmosphere is incredible and I'm glad to say I'm a part of a team here.”

As you can tell, being a student-athlete at the University of Alabama can be quite the balancing act!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1479
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16318
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3420
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments