For student-athletes at UNK, balancing academics with athletics is an ongoing challenge. It requires discipline, flexibility and careful daily planning to stay successful.
Balancing coursework and athletics can be more challenging, but student-athletes consistently prove that with strong organization and determination, success in both is achievable.
Student-athletes like Narindra Ranaivo, a business administration major and member of the women’s tennis team, said planning ahead is crucial for keeping up with both academics and athletics.
“I schedule my classes in the morning because of practices, and when it comes to assignments, I start with the hardest ones first,” Ranaivo said. “Deadlines are really important for me to stay on track.”
Practices often change weekly, forcing students to remain adaptable instead of relying on rigid daily routines for success. Flexibility and quick adaptation are skills that athletes say are just as important as their athletic performance itself.
With practice times often changing from week to week, many athletes find that sticking to a rigid schedule is unrealistic. Instead, flexibility and quick adaptation become key parts of daily life. Susie Bovaird, a journalism major, who also contributes to The Antelope, on the women’s soccer team, said that she has learned to take each day as it comes.
“Every day looks different, so I have to plan around my changing practice schedule and classes,” Bovaird said. “Organization is what keeps me from falling behind.”
Finding time for personal interests and a social life is another difficulty, especially during peak sports seasons with heavy travel.
Many athletes report that living with teammates who understand these pressures helps make balancing everything much easier. Having a supportive environment at home with fellow athletes keeps Bovaird motivated both academically and athletically.
Organization, support and self-discipline are the keys most student-athletes agree are necessary to avoid falling behind. UNK coaches play an important role by promoting academic success and offering flexibility when major academic events arise.
Coaches sometimes adjust practice times before exams or presentations to ensure students can perform their best.
While university policies excuse absences for athletic travel, the responsibility for staying caught up still falls on the athlete. Jordan Renard, a health science major and pre-med student who plays soccer, said balancing sports and school has helped her develop life skills.
“Learning to handle a packed schedule now will definitely help me when I get into medical school,” Renard said. “I’ve learned how to balance stress, and that’s something I’ll need for my career.”
Despite the long hours, early mornings and late-night study sessions, most student-athletes agree the lessons they learn from managing their time effectively will serve them well beyond college. They point to improvements in skills such as time management, communication, leadership and stress management — all qualities that employers and graduate programs highly value.
“A huge part of my future career will be teamwork and meeting deadlines,” Bovaird said. “Both skills that I will have developed through my college courses and time as a student athlete.”
