Paw Print Editor: Brianna Robles
Each year as the holidays approach students eagerly wait for this upcoming break in their semester. Thanksgiving break is a great time to sit back, relax, and spend time with family and friends for most students that is unless you are a student-athlete. Student-athletes do get the days off like everyone else but to be prepared for their season they need to be committed and make challenging sacrifices to be ready for competition day. For student-athletes, the traditional concept of a holiday break can be more of a mixed bag than it is for their non-athlete peer as some must make a trade-off to balance their academic and athletic lives.
Just because there is no school doesn't mean there isn’t practice, even as there may not be an assigned practice time, some student-athletes often find themselves amid rigorous practice and game schedules, which may not align with the timing of the Thanksgiving holiday. In many cases, they must continue to practice even on Thanksgiving Day if they want to be prepared when the competition returns in the spring semester. This can make it challenging for them to fully participate in family gatherings and holiday festivities, especially if some students call to sacrifice going home and staying in town to train. Some students may also live thousands of miles away in other states and it may put a dent in their training if they put a pause to travel home for the holidays. It is decisions like this that make a difference when it comes to athletes' performances and how much they are willing to sacrifice to be great.
Some other athletes may want to use this break to get ahead in academics, especially if they know they have a competition day after Thanksgiving break. Finals are normally approaching after Thanksgiving break and some student-athletes may be using this time to work on balancing the act between academics and sports and sometimes this involves getting ahead in schoolwork. Student-athletes must maintain eligibility and keep up with their studies, they often need to juggle their academic responsibilities with their athletic commitments. This means that they might be using part of their Thanksgiving break to catch up on assignments, study for exams, or attend mandatory study sessions. Yes, student-athletes can decide to not do any schoolwork during the break however, it all comes down to how dedicated and passionate they are about their sport. This often means making sacrifices, while their non-athlete peers may be enjoying a leisurely Thanksgiving break, student-athletes may put in extra hours on the field, in the gym, or on the track. Their commitment to their team and sport is commendable but can be demanding during the holidays.
Overall, the experience of Thanksgiving for student-athletes is far from conventional and may look different for each student. However, even though they may not have the same leisurely break as their non-athlete peers, their dedication, sacrifices, and commitment to their sports are commendable. The decision to be a student-athlete comes with compromises and trade-offs, and in the end, it comes down to how committed, passionate, and determined they are in both their athletic and academic pursuits.
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