One moment, Joshua Walsh stood at the end of the football field. The next, he was sitting on the bench with the team doctor. “It was lights-out,” Walsh said, recalling his concussion on Sept. 11 against Waterloo University. “The following day was awful.”
The injury had him miss four games, a week of classes and two exams, leaving him falling behind in his academics and missing considerable time of his final season. Such is the life of student athletes at Carleton University, who constantly balance the demands of a heavy schedule.
Seventy-five Ravens were named by U Sports as Academic All-Canadians—students who maintain an academic standing of 80 per cent while playing on a varsity team.
Walsh, a linebacker for the Ravens and fourth-year student in global and international studies (BGInS), maintains a GPA of 11.00. On top of class, he works for the government, and practices with the team from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, with slightly shorter sessions on Monday and Friday. Saturdays are usually gamedays which become an all-day affair.
“You’re dead after. You have to take a break. It’s more than a full-time job.” – Joshua Walsh, fourth-year BGInS and linebacker Carleton football
When he suffered his concussion, he struggled to focus in classes, constantly being distracted or “in the fog,” as he describes it. By the time he made up his exams, Walsh had midterms and research papers stacking up around him. “I felt the pressure and the stress,” he said.
Walsh surprised himself by catching up quickly with schoolwork and getting back on the field after four games. But his story illustrates how difficult it can be for student athletes to balance the demands of playing a sport and succeeding at academics; it requires being incredibly organized and rigorous in using time wisely, and often comes at the cost of social life and sleep.
Demi Swann, a fourth-year neuroscience student and player on the varsity rugby team, has a GPA of 12.00. In addition to a reduced course load and 35 hours a week with the team, Swann works two jobs. She plans and schedules everything ahead, but tries to focus on just doing one thing at a time; looking at the big picture can get overwhelming.
Colin Ward, an engineer in co-op, is on the nordic skiing team and has a GPA of 11.89. He said the key is to start on everything as it’s assigned. As for what he puts first: “I prioritize resting a lot,” Ward said. He is strict about getting sleep.
“You really can’t afford to not be on top of it,” said Swann. “(If not) Then I’m breaking down.”
“It’s just awful. I try to avoid that,” Swann continued.
To avoid those moments, there’s a cost that comes in the form of sleep and social life. “You know something has to give,” said Jennie Wong, a fourth-year science student on the women’s soccer team with a GPA of 10.38.
“Your team is your family,” said Wong, emphasizing that student athletes can and do have social lives, but keeping up with those outside of athletics can be hard.
For every athlete interviewed, their sport is a coping method. “You’re literally just focused on throwing a ball, catching a ball,” said Swann.
“When you’re in the pool, you just forget about school,” said Mihailo Krstic, a fourth-year communications engineering student who plays water polo.
Krstic, holds a GPA of 11.33 and is taking one course this semester along with a co-op work term.
“There’s been a few times — two or three times — when I’ve really been out of my mind, like, ‘Oh my god, what am I going to do?’” said Krstic. “I always like to keep in mind that it’s not the end of the world if I mess up and something goes wrong.”
He said he tries to maximize the time he has, sitting in the front row of class to limit what he has to study later on.
While the stress and workload can be overwhelming, supports exist. David Caron is the special teams coordinator and academic coach for the football team, and his job is to help players succeed at this balance.
Every football player meets once a week with a coach to create a schedule. Caron helps those on the team with time management and organization, especially when transitioning from high school or CEGEP to university.
“It’s not necessarily about the actual results,” said Caron. “It’s about creating good habits.”
Being a student athlete is also not just about the stress. Student athletes learn important life skills, like time management and prioritization, says Robert D’Arras, the head coach of the nordic skiing team, which features 12 Academic All-Canadians.
“What works on the basketball court and what works on the ski hill works in the classroom,” said D’Arras. “The thing that makes them great students is the same thing that makes them great athletes.”
With skiing being an individual sport, D’Arras lets those on his team make their own choice in whether they put school or skiing first. Regardless, D’Arras — like other coaches — lets students skip practice if they need to.
Often, however, student athletes end up skipping classes, seeking extensions or deferring exams for travel, which often takes up whole weekends. Professors are usually lenient and understanding, although they often don’t know that their students are also athletes.
Kwesi Loney, head coach of men’s soccer and head of soccer operations at Carleton, said that the teams work with students to make sure their schedules fit around practices. The team also communicates with professors to make sure they understand the demands on the student outside the classroom.
“It’s always the balance. It’s not an easy life, but they make it work and they excel.” – Kwesi Loney, men’s soccer coach
For the student athletes, their work is never something to complain about. They have learned to use every minute and stay on top of everything — no matter how far out it may seem — and to cope with what they are given, whether it’s through a sport, a schedule or a nap.
“I have a dog,” said Wong. “That helps relieve my stress.”
His name is Teddy.
Feature image from file.
