Kids

Life of a Student-Athlete: Grades Or Gold?

by Kevyn Gohu
December 14, 2022

Being a student-athlete means knowing how to manage one’s time and realizing that some sacrifices must be made.

“Student-athlete” — it’s a term people use to refer to college students who joined varsity teams and represented their universities in tournaments and competitions. Many times, these were students who had perks in school. They have limited edition jackets, free food, sponsorships, and even full scholarships—which many parents want their kids to gun for. But being a student-athlete is more than just competition and training. It is a way of life that demanded time management and taught the meaning of sacrifice and virtue.

A female student-athlete holding an arnis stick.

The Thrills and Chills of Being A Student-Athlete

During the orientation when I first joined Ateneo’s Arnis Varsity Team, the administration clearly stated, “You are student-athletes. You are students before athletes.”

Back then, I didn’t think too hard about it. All that registered was so long as my grades didn’t drop to a C, D, or F, I could still train and practice the martial arts I loved. Soon, the team joined a variety of tournaments. Some were small. Others were big. It was fun because honestly, I enjoyed the thrill of proving that I could do something. Win or lose, the team and I could just laugh about whatever crazy stuff happened that day.

What sweetened the deal was the freebies that came with it. The varsity jackets which they provided every other year with different designs, the gala for athletes known as Athlete’s Night, and some academic perks like having a study hall meant purely for athletes were what made the life of a student-athlete thrilling. But at the same time, it’s also what gave me the chills: all these could disappear if my grades so much as slipped.

The Choice of Every Student-Athlete: Grades or Gold?

Training started at 4:30 PM and ended usually at 7 or 7:30 PM every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But it didn’t feel like a chore because I honestly enjoyed testing my limits and training. But soon, my limits began to show when I would cram papers, sleep late nights just to finish a section of my readings because the professor did pre-lecture quizzes, and even forget that I had project meetings. It was here that I had to make the choice: grades or gold?

Obviously, I chose grades.

But thank goodness, there was a way to retain both.

A lot of people seem to think that, eventually, student-athletes revert back to being students to focus on their future and their careers. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Student-athletes have teammates and many of them are seniors who are kind enough to offer life or school advice after training. Because even though everyone’s gunning for gold, their maintaining good grades is what allows them to keep on trying to win that gold.

Tidbits froma Student-Athlete

Today, a lot of kids going to college are planning to explore different avenues. Some will probably major in Student Organizations and minor in whatever degree they enrolled in. Others will join the “Go Home Early” club. But for those who are going to be parents of a student-athlete, here are some notes to help your kids survive college as a student-athlete:

1. Do force them to be on a healthy diet.

College is when kids start learning how to chug energy drinks like Cobra and Joss or coffee by the liter to help them focus and complete their requirements. But since liquid and solid foods fall in the same stomach, students, most especially student-athletes, tend to skip meals because they’re too tired from training and school to feel hungry. Make sure they eat real food because sometimes, they’ll forget and realize at 11 PM at night that they only had one meal for that day and that one meal was either Milk Tea, Coffee, or Cobra.

2. Celebrate every medal they earn.

Celebrating that your student-athlete kid won a bronze doesn’t mean you’re accepting lackluster performance. It means you’re acknowledging your kids’ efforts to win that meal. Hours of training don’t always result in a gold medal. Even if it’s just bronze or a certificate, celebrate it! Because that means their efforts resulted in something that others recognized.

3. Remind them of the varsity’s (often unspoken) cardinal rule: DO NOT DATE YOUR TEAMMATES.

Many coaches highly discourage teammates from dating within the team. It has caused teams to break up into factions and members to take sides. If they so much as start mentioning that they have a crush on their teammate, nip it in the bud right there. It isn’t worth the drama and the stress—especially when the breakup is bad.

However, if it still happens, be sure to always remind them that their relationship problems should not drag the team down with them. Besides, it’s also nice to have someone outside the team so it’s a breath of fresh air instead of competitiveness, blood, sweat, tears, and body odor.

4. Remind them that there’s no shame in not being able to join a tournament.

A lot of times, student-athletes join tournaments because there’s a shame in not being able to do so. It’s why many of them find it easier to forsake their grades. A real team would understand why they can’t join. If their team starts being bitter about their not joining, they’re not worth it. Besides, their grades take priority. A college degree is more important than a medal.

5. Expect injuries like you’ve never seen before.

Especially if the sport is a contact sport, there will be injuries. Bruise on the thigh, fractured fingers, purple-colored ribs, a dead toenail — it’s always bound to happen at some point. While student-athletes will gladly wear these bruises and injuries from training and tournaments as badges of honor, trust me when I say they’re going to feel it later. Time to stock up on those medical kits, heating pads, and ice packs. They’re going to need it.

6. Most of all, try to be interested in the sport (even if you’re not!).

Support from parents always plays a big role in any kid’s pursuits. Especially when they’re a student-athlete, a parent’s support still matters. Granted that some of these tournaments’ venues are God-only-knows-where, it’s a big boost to any kid’s motivation and commitment to stick to the sport when they know their parents support them. Even if they’re teenagers and say they don’t care. They do.