The Stereotype

Being a student athlete goes beyond the field and the weight room, can't forget about the school which most important.  So those are three aspects which are very time consuming but still somehow they have to pull through and grind it out everyday.  It takes a lot of dicipline, focus and will power but most of all, time management!  During my time as a student athlete at Mercyhurst University, I have seen countless examples of poor time management, which ultimately lead to decreased playing time, mandatory stud hall and even dismissal from the team all together.  Some of the young players currently on the roster now have told me it is definitaly not for the faint of heart, "It feels like there isnt any down time or at least some time to yourself when, always on the move."  Now i can testify to that because when i used to play, it was always something whether it be study hall, weight traning or practice there wasn't any time to breath or take a second.  Another thing you have to deal with being a student athlete is the fact that teachers know who you are because you play a sport and even though they don't like to admit it, they pick on the athletes and single them out, or are harder on athletes than the other students.  Im sure the majority of teachers will deny that, but its the Stereotype of athletes and how they are portrayed, that most athletes feel picked on in the classroom.

That does not stop student atheletes from performing and doing great things in the classroom,  there are plenty of facts and statistics that can show and prove the success rate of student athelets across the nation.  Yes they have alot to deal with and can be overwhemling at times but that does not stop them from pushing and feeling sorry for themselves.  Being a student athlete is a special privilage which should not be taken for granted, so many stereotypes and labels come with the territory, like "dumb jocks" or being lazy and cocky.  As long as they keep up the good work the stereotypes will vanish for good and let their hard work do all of the talking.

The Difference

Athletes all across the world know that we are all different from the average person, not to sound cocky or put us above other people.  But it is almost like a scared fellowship regardless of what sport you play or background you have come from, weall have made the ultimate committment and sacrifice to indulge ourseleves into the world of sports.  The long practice hours, getting up at sunrise while it feels like the rest of the world is still sleeping, grinding through grueling practices in the summer heat.  While your friends are out partying and having a good time, your in the gym working your butt off, putting in your time with the blood, sweat and tears that come along with it.  You love it though and no matter how much you complain about being sore or tired, or feeling like you just want to strangle your coach to death, you know in the end all of that hard work will pay off come game time.  The average person who has never played a sport in their life can never fully understand all of those emotions athletes go through day in and day out, sun up to sun down, they just can not do it.  And that is the difference between the two, making the sacrifice to better yourself for competition and not hang out with your friends on a friday night, or take a day off for feeling sorry for yourself is something the outside world would not be able to relate to no matter how hard they try.  The taste of victory is so gratifying and blissful, hearing the crowd roar knowing everyone is on their feet because of what you accomplished is such a rush and unbelievable feeling.  Here is a video to describe what I am talking about.That is what makes all of the pain, long practices, heated debates with teammates and film sessions all worth it.

The Grind

As mentioned before in my previous blog, I had aspirations to be a Division 1 athlete but sometimes things just do not work out as planned.  Every year athletes across the country struggle to come to terms about not playing at the school of their choice, or getting a full scholarship to play.  Everybody feels they have what it takes to play on the big stage, so playing at a small Division 2 or 3 college is most of the time out of the question.  But speaking from experience since I was a Division 2 football player for Mercyhurst University, there really are not that many differences that separate the two.  Yes most of Division 2 schools do not have the ability to offer full scholarships, and some of the more glamorous athletic facilities.  But the competition is just as intense and the talent level is just as good and in some cases even better.  The grind is tough because Division 2 athletes might not have access to certain needs that would help them get better, and in a few cases i have seen, some have to come out of their own pockets to get the job done.  That to me is one of the biggest differences from the two levels of competition, because the big D1 schools can offer athletes those needs without the athlete having to worry about possibly paying with their own money.  In that sense I feel D2 athletes develop a mind-set of, grinding it out and having more of an appreciation of playing college football, because there are many cases, of D1 athletes taking that opportunity for granted.  I do not mean to sound bias in any way because I it is not easy to be a student athlete, it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but being at a school where football has to work around everything else is an intense grind.  It really does test you, making time management and self-independence vital, always having a certain demeanor about proving yourself.  Its almost like walking around with a chip on your shoulder having that feeling of knowing you should be at a major University playing in front of huge crowds, but your not and probably not on a scholarship either.  Making being a D2 athlete harder than people think, because those kind of schools do not get the publicity.  It is a beautiful struggle, and many D2 athletes have gone on to the prefessional ranks and acomplished great things, and will continue to do so with pride.  Like my mother always told me "If your good enough they will find you, no matter where you are"

Playing Favorites

I have been playing football for 14 years, I've played through pee wee all the way up until the collegiate level.  Speaking from experience, as i progressed throughout my playing career i could see how the intensity picked up.  But there was a more glaring observation I picked up on along the way, which was the concept of playing favorites.  Coming out of high school I was a really good solid running back who put up some impressive numbers, and that lead me to getting recruiting letters from big Universities like Penn St, Maryland, Rutgers just to name a few.  Of course that was exciting news for a 18 year old who wants to take their playing career to the top level of college football which would be Division 1.  Then it was time to actually visit some of those schools to see the what they were all about, and of course talk football.  I looked around and there were about 20 other guys from all over the country just like me looking to hopefully play big time Division 1 football, but then as the the tours started i felt left out, because some of the recruiters didn't know me or show any attention to me.  some guys in the group got the majority of the attention and coaches would talk in depth with them more than they would I.  The coaches would take us to watch film to see what kind of system they work with, then would tell a couple of the other guys, how good they looked in their highlight tapes.  But no one coach told me about my tape and how impressive i looked, and this trend would occur several places i went to visit.  After that phase of the recruiting process was over and i still have not received any calls, i came to the realization how all of those coaches at those Universities minds were already set on who they wanted, and it was all about playing favorites and not really giving a chance.  My former teammate and current college roommate Tyrell Coon went through something very similar, almost identical. He stated "All of of the colleges that recruited me said i was a great player, but since growing up and playing football in New York City, it hurt my chances because we aren't known for our football."  That seems to happen more than people think, but being on the outside looking in people don't really see how coaches manage this.  Not only does it happen at the high school level, but the college level as well.  My mother told me after our experience "Its not how much you know, Its all about who you know."