MANAGING EDITOR – SOPHIA KUSSEL
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON OCT 25 2023
St. its Mary’s University, known for rigorous academic programs and competitive sports teams, offers students a unique opportunity to excel in the classroom and on the field. However, the life of a student-athlete is far from easy. St. Mary’s athletes navigate a demanding schedule that includes academics and rigorous athletic training. Balancing long hours of practice, training sessions and a full academic course load can be challenging as there is little room for relaxation.
“Doing it all is not easy,” says Rebecca Reed, a law student on the women’s golf team. “I would be lying to you if I said that it was. It takes a lot of planning and discipline to stick to the plan and then also kind of giving yourself grace when things fall off the rails a little bit because that is life.” There is no question that athletes require the ability to withstand the pressures of balancing academics, sports and their personal life, which adds substantial pressure that is difficult to manage. Despite the challenges, there are studentathletes like Rebecca Reed who manage to thrive in these high-pressure environments. Reed, a self-described over-achiever, has accomplished more than most, being named the St. Mary’s Marketing Student of the Year in 2022, the Lone Star Conference Academic Women’s Golfer of the Year, and is currently in law school. She is in her fifth year golfing for St. Mary’s and sat down with the Rattler to provide insight into St. Mary’s athletics. “I’m very diligent. I’m like a religious planner. I always know what I should be doing, and I worked really hard to try to stick to that schedule,” Reed explained. “Because that is the biggest thing. Everybody has a plan, but can you actually exercise the discipline to be able to stick to it, but then also to give yourself enough time to just exist and enjoy being in college and enjoy being with your teammates and being with your friends?”
St. Mary’s University recognizes the struggles of student-athletes and is committed to providing them with the resources they need to succeed. The university offers academic accommodations and strives to provide educational support for all its students, including athletes. Reed went on to explain her achievements at St. Mary’s: “I really owe that all to my professors because I built some really great relationships with them through my time in undergrad and they’ve given me some really great opportunities to expand my academic career.” Reed continued, “And then of all of my professors as a whole have been super supportive of me being a studentathlete. They’ve been super helpful. If you need office hours or you need something explained, or you need just additional information or you need an extra day or so on an assignment. They’re always super willing to work with you if you’re willing to communicate with them.”
College athletes are not immune to mental health challenges. Taking care of an athlete’s mental health is a necessity to maintain a balanced student life. The pressures of sports can feel unmanageable without help, even for the most dedicated students. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported that 25% of athletes experience disordered eating, burnout, depression or anxiety. Even more concerning, the same report showed that only 10% of all student-athletes with known mental health conditions seek help from a mental health professional. Reed commented on the importance of seeking mental health treatment. “I would not have made it this far without help,” said Reed. “I know the athletics department has contracted Coach Mac. He is a great resource for us. He’s a sports psychologist and he’s worked with us a bit. And then I have my own sports psychologist that I’ve worked with since I was in high school, and it’s definitely the best decision that I’ve ever made.”
Besides the university’s support, a student-athlete’s relationship with their team is a significant source of encouragement. Players are often able to find support and motivation in the relationships they build with their teammates throughout the season. “We do pretty much everything together,” says Reed. “And so having that is kind of like your backbone of you get to take those breaks from everything and you have to kind of like make that time for yourself. But having them there and being able to just like rely on them in that sense of just kind of having someone to talk to, having someone to like, just take a break with is, that’s great.” Sports aren’t always a student-athlete’s sole focus. They need to find time to pursue an outlet outside of sports, a passion outside of school sports, something they can have to themselves. Without an outlet, studentathletes experience substantial burnout. “Find something that makes you genuinely happy and make time for that,” Reed emphasized. “It doesn’t have to be like every day or every week but make sure that you’re planning time to do that. I’d be going for a hike, going to the pool [or] reading a book. Anything that just makes you feel kind of full inside because my psychologist talks about like filling up your cup. You need to do something because every day, all the stress, all the anxiety [and] all of the work, slowly drains that cup and so you need to do something to fill it back up.”
The life of a student-athlete at St. Mary’s University is filled with rigor. The constant juggling of sports, academics, mental health and time management is nothing to scoff at. With the university and community’s support, and the determination of the student-athletes themselves, St. Mary’s athletes will continue to achieve success, both on and off the field.