Kelsey Ackerman | Sports Co-Editor
The NCAA website states: “Division III athletics provides a well-rounded collegiate experience that involves a balance of rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and the opportunity to pursue the multitude of other co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities offered on Division III campuses.”
The first issue student athletes at any level deal with is trying to keep up with academic work while also staying focused and being competitive in their sport. Junior basketball player Alexia Fisher is one athlete who sees this as a challenge.
“The hardest part I have found with being a student athlete is trying to stay caught up with school work while also putting in enough time into my sport to keep improving,” Fisher said.
Student-athletes miss different classes on a weekly basis in order to leave for athletic contests. This can lead to an effect of falling behind in classes; however, at Buena Vista University (BVU) there are many accommodations made in order to prevent this from happening.
“Here at BVU we have faculty willing to work with students on absences for a myriad of reasons, as long as the students are proactive and openly communicate,” Athletic Director Christyn Abaray said.
Abaray mentioned that BVU has faculty who are more than willing to work with student-athletes. They do this by constantly working with them to find times that work to make up assignments and tests that will be missed.
Dr. Brain Lenzmeier, Professor of Biology, sees another issue that student athletes tend to run into.
“Rotating practice schedules makes it hard for student-athletes to get into a consistent study routine. This becomes especially problematic in winter and spring when teams are overlapping in the rec. One week they might practice from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. and then the next from 9 p.m. – 11 p.m. It becomes hard to get into a routine,” Lenzmeier said.
Most student-athletes would say that it gets easier with time. As they get used to being a student as well as a competitive athlete, they learn better time management skills in order to cope with the stresses that come with being an athlete. Associate Professor of English Composition James McFadden agrees with this generalization.
“I see new first year student athletes lose the struggle against physical exhaustion, time management, and routine illness. The students’ studies tend to suffer as the workouts increase and require more recovery time. In second and third year student-athletes, I find they are often more successful at managing their time commitments and exhaustion,” McFadden said.
While some may say that athletics at the Division III level only interfere with academic performance, there is also a side that can create a deeper motivation in students.
“Personally, football and athletics is what drives me to be successful. It gives me something to work for and to support. Being an athlete has improved my academic performance and has helped me stay on track,” junior football player Kyle Arnold said.
Professors aren’t the only ones helping students make sure they stay caught up on their schoolwork. Coaches at BVU also stay on top of their athletes to ensure they are also focused on school.
“We do grade checks during season. We also have designated study times during our trips; whether it is on the bus, in the airport, or at the hotel if we have time in-between playing. Checking and checking again is the only true way to ensure how my athletes are doing,” volleyball head coach Lori Slight said.
Another issue that arises aside from academics is the ability of student-athletes to be a part of other on-campus organizations. Many athletes run into the issue of wanting to be a member of various clubs or committees but not being able to find time for the commitment.
“You really have to pick and choose what other activities you can do besides athletics and school. BVU offers so much that it you really have to balance everything else you want to be involved in,” sophomore basketball player Kennedy Drey said.
While there are many adversities when being a student-athlete, there are many rewards that outweigh these. One is really becoming a bigger part of the BVU community, as well as Storm Lake.
“The most rewarding part is the broadening of connections we have with each other, the students, the faculty, and community members of Storm Lake,” sophomore football player Tanner Heckt said.
Another thing any athlete has experienced is the closeness of a team. Especially at the collegiate level, athletes spend a huge amount of time together. They have morning workouts, practices, or even live in the same residential areas together. This can lead to some of the best memories and a group of life-long friends.
“I have made some amazing relationships. I have met some of the greatest friends I could ask for through playing baseball here at BVU. The opportunity to compete alongside them, win or lose, is very special to me,” junior baseball player Kendall Hazel said.
At BVU, it can be said that the athletic community has become very tight-knit. You can always count on seeing the entire baseball team in the stands cheering on the men’s basketball team, as well as many other examples.
“Being a student athlete in the BVU athletic community is awesome because everyone knows you for it, and it also makes the bonds between different teams tighter,” senior tennis play Kyle Weeden said.
While some may say playing at the Division III level is a waste of time when you could be focusing on academics, any athlete at BVU would challenge that statement.
“DIII athletes are some of the most dedicated and passionate of athletes. We can’t earn athletic scholarships so we are playing for the pure love of the game,” Weeden said.
In the end, with all the challenges athletes face to try and stay caught up with academics, extra curricular activities, as well as a social life, BVU athletics makes the entire struggle worth it in the end.
“I get the opportunity to play the sport I have loved all my life for four more years with some of my best friends, as well as be a part of an amazing community. The extra work to stay caught up in everything else it totally worth it,” Hazel said.
Photo courtesy of BVU Athletics
