Junior Jimmy Reyes knew from the moment he arrived at Elon his college experience would be different than most of his peers'. As a baseball pitcher, his days begin at 5:30 a.m. with a morning workout, and are typically completely booked until after 10 p.m. He manages to balance a full academic load along with his daily workouts, practices and games. Yet, for the majority of varsity athletes at Elon, this is nothing out of the ordinary.
Student Athlete or Athlete Student?
Despite the fact that a large majority of their college career is spent on the fields or the courts preparing for competition, most Elon athletes place academics as their first priority.
"I definitely see myself as a student who also plays baseball," junior baseball pitcher Jimmy Reyes said. "When I was choosing a school, I asked myself the same question at each one: if baseball ended tomorrow, would I be happy here? Elon was a yes."
But there are others who feel that since athletics were the avenue which brought them to Elon, it deserves to be top priority.
"Honestly, basketball is the reason I am at Elon," senior guard Devan Carter said. "But I don't take my school work lightly either. Academics are taken very seriously by the entire athletic department at Elon, and that is made clear from day one."
Though the athletes may differ as to the personal order of priority allotted to academics and athletics, the university makes the goals of the institution clear with regards to both arenas. The Athletic Handbook states that Elon University is committed to offering a program that emphasizes and rewards academic responsibility, consistent academic progress toward graduation and preparation for successful living.
The coaching staff for each team emphasizes the importance of academics by creating team GPA goals.
"Each athlete has an individual GPA goal that they are pursuing, but as a team we have a goal of maintaining an overall minimum GPA of 3.0, and we are pushing to achieve a 3.2," men's tennis coach Michael Leonard said. "Nine out of my 10 semesters at Elon we have maintained a 3.0 team GPA, but to earn the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team award, we need to be at 3.2."
Leonard is not alone in the high standards he sets for his team. Last year the men's soccer team was named an academic all-American team for achieving a team GPA of 3.0, and coach Darren Powell said he expects that his team can be both the conference champions and academic all-American team this year. Volleyball coach Mary Tendler, whose girls had more than a 3.4 team GPA last year, said she believes the academic success of Elon's athletes is largely due to the caliber of students Elon recruits.
"Athletes at Elon were all top performers in high school, so they have already had to learn how to balance sports and academics," Tendler said.
Leonard echoed this sentiment when he said that he didn't bother recruiting tennis players that he thought couldn't handle the work load.
The school provides student-athletes with a number of academic support opportunities to ensure their continued success in the classroom. Freshmen are required to complete six hours of study hall between Sunday and Thursday. Upperclassmen have a choice as to whether they wish to continue study hall or not, but if their GPA falls below a certain level it becomes mandatory again.
"My grades are higher than the GPA required for the tennis team, but I participate voluntarily because I tend to procrastinate otherwise, and study hall keeps me on a schedule," junior tennis player Chase Helpingstine said.
Athletes have an athletic academic adviser whom they meet with in addition to their major adviser. Cayce Crenshaw, the director of academic support for athletics, meets with the students to discuss any questions they may have regarding their academic and athletic workloads. Elon's athletes agree that Crenshaw is essential to their academic success.
"Before Crenshaw came, it was a lot harder to balance everything," Carter said. "She is really great and takes the time to get to know all of our professors so we all work together better. She has made a huge difference".
For many of the athletes, the emphasis on academics is practical.
"I plan on continuing to run after college, but I know it isn't something I will do professionally," senior cross country and track runner Cait Beeler said.
Others keep academics as a primary focus, but may not be quite ready to give up professional aspirations just yet.
"If the opportunity to play (basketball) professionally presented itself, I would absolutely take it," sophomore forward Courtney Medley said. "But if it isn't in the cards for me, I will pursue a career in human services."
Starting with a family
One of the biggest worries for most freshmen is meeting people and making friends. Being a student-athlete diminishes that worry as athletes start school with a whole team of friends.
"Right away I had a group of guys to be friends with so I didn't have to worry as much about meeting people," Helpingstine said. "We all have this major part of our lives in common which makes for a natural friendship."
Though freshman cross country runner Jacqueline Alnes is just beginning to experience life as a student-athlete at Elon, she said she has already reaped the benefits.
"The support from my teammates and coaches has made the transition so much easier," Alnes said. "Everyone was so welcoming and helped me get situated on campus. My teammates even offered to help me move in."
Not all it is cracked up to be
It is easy to look at the life of a fellow classmate performing in the athletic arena and be jealous. Who wouldn't want to hear a crowd of more than 2,000 people chanting their name and be treated like a celebrity after a big win? But what is often overlooked are the sacrifices made by student-athletes pursuing success at the collegiate level.
"I definitely don't get to hang out with my friends as often as I would like to like normal college students do," Carter said. "Even though my teammates are my closest friends, it would be nice to spend more time with other friends."
Student-athletes must learn to master the daily balancing act of juggling hours of weightlifting and practices while still attending all classes, studying for tests and maintaining their grades. During the season, they must also factor in 2-4 games a week, some of which can be as far away as Chattanooga, Tenn. Bus rides become a critical study time.
"The biggest drawback of being an athlete is the amount of time you have to dedicate to your sport," Reyes said. "I am often doing homework well into the morning, because the free time that most college students have, I spend playing baseball. My free time has to be used as academic time."
With academic and athletic commitments occupying most of the day for an athlete, little time is left for other student organizations. But the only opportunity that varsity athletes are barred from participating in is club sports. Otherwise, it is a personal decision.
"There are a few organizations I would enjoy being a part of, but there simply isn't time," senior soccer defender Laura Norwind said.
Do it all again
When all is said is done, there doesn't seem to be many athletes at Elon who regrets their decision to pursue athletics at the collegiate level. While it may be tough to balance the dual roles of student and athlete, most agree that the extra work is well worth it in the end.
"I would make the decision again in a heartbeat," Carter said. "I can't imagine being at college and not being an athlete. There isn't anything like it. I honestly don't know what I would do with my free time."
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