Balancing academics and athletics
Student athletes work to maintain good performance in school, sports
Matt Kluemper / Daily Staff Writer
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With practices, various training and games or competitions each week, sticking with the books is sometimes difficult, but student athletes must maintain the balance between athletics and school to remain eligible and- for most- to get a job after graduation.
ISU Athletic Academic Services offers student athletes with a number of services to help them maintain their work.
Donald Reed, associate athletic director and manager of Athletic Academic Services, said they help students work hard to maintain a good cumulative grade point average.
"We provide assistance with regard to organizational skills and academic programs to assist with the student athlete's balancing act of athletics and academics," Reed said.
Reed said there are services available to student athletes to keep up with their studies.
"Some students are required to participate in a learning center, tutoring and study groups, and there are other students that voluntarily participate in the academic learning center activities," Reed said. "That includes us setting up individual learning plans, where we help schedule activities with regard to athletics and academics and design their schedule to meet both commitments."
Reed said there will be a new center for student athletes' learning purposes, the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center, opening in January.
The new center will provide academic coordinators, tutors, learning development staff, computer labs and study rooms for quiet studying, Reed said.
Jessica Shin, ISU women's golfer and junior in biology, was recently named to the 2005-06 National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-America team. Shin said as a student athlete it can sometimes be challenging to balance athletics and academics.
"It's really tough because both take up a lot of time, but I guess it's pretty much all about time management," she said.
Shin, who was named to the Big 12 all-tournament team as a sophomore last year, has a cumulative grade point average of 3.97 but said it can be stressful finding time to practice her golf swing and study for tests.
"It's really stressful at times, because you just get done playing and then you have to study, but it works out pretty well," she said.
Shin said despite being on the road for a while, she is still able to socialize with her good friends.
"We're pretty much on the road or trying to catch up with school, but it's OK because most of my good friends are on the team, so you can call it socializing because we're always together," she said.
Shin said maintaining her high grade point average is important to her and sometimes takes a little more work, but it is worth it.
"You end up sacrificing a lot of things that 'normal' college kids do, but it's worth it in the end because you feel like you've accomplished something extra," Shin said.
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Anonymous
posted 7/23/06 @ 12:19 AM CST
I know people who work full time and attend Iowa State. Nobody helps them. Try working 40 hours a week while being a full time student and then try to tell me the athletes have it hard. (Continued…)
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