Well hello there, my name is Alexander Azumah (nickname: Sauce). I am a Student-Athlete, also my first blog ever!!! As you know, right now the Spring sports are in training, like Lacrosse. These last few days have been brutal plus the cold weather is not helping. Us student-athletes getting back into a routine can be very challenging. Like… being fully dressed for this weather, getting something to eat for class, waking up on time for class, grabbing a snack in the dining center, and eventually going to practice can be a hard task because there are really no days off. If we are not playing sports, we are hitting the books. For me, I work and play sports but being a student first is even harder!!! But once you get back to the routine of business, you’ll be set for the semester. First things first you have to start at a slow pace and build tolerance for it, like in the classroom you start off slow then once you familiarize yourself with the material things will get quicker. It’s the same thing for sports, you will start off slow then before you know it things will pick up and the sport season will start (Lacrosse Baby!) But all student-athletes should have some reminders to help them along the school year.
Helpful Tips for Student-Athletes
- Your job is to be a student(first) athlete(second). Class, study hall, films, weights training, EAT…The reason you are here is the get an education first then be an athlete second. Like actually engage in class because you will make yourself look good but the sport you are in too. Teachers all know we are on Facebook, twitter, and instagram they just don’t have the time to manually tell us stop doing it.
- Be in class. Once again you came here for an education first. Treat the classroom like your practice in sports because how good are you going to be for the first game if you missed all the practices. It is the exact same thing for the classroom, you cannot miss days of class and expect to do well on quizzes and tests. Let your professors know (in person, by E-mail, or through a letter from the athletic department) the dates you will be missing class to participate in athletics.
- Have a plan after college. It’s easy to forget the big picture when your daily life is packed with academics and athletics, but remember to use your resources and build your network(LinkedIn is very helpful). And create a resume early. You can get help on a resume from business majors and or professor of yours. I admit I’m intimidated when it comes time to write one. It’s always good to keep in mind that our athletic experience(even lacrosse) has taught you many skills that employers value(we just don’t see it-our coach is our the boss and we (student-athletes) are the employees). As an athlete, we have demonstrated that we are goal oriented, work well in teams, communicate, and are organized(or try to be…) and very disciplined thanks to our coach (Coach Doc).
