Colorado Mesa University hosts over 700 varsity student-athletes in many different areas across campus. That is not an extremely astounding number considering the student body of 11,000 but, kind of like ex-girlfriends, you just can’t seem to go anywhere on campus without running into one.

It’s not too hard to spot a varsity athlete either, just look for the brand name sports apparel and gear custom made to rock their name, number and the ever-honorable “Varsity” logo. However, other than all the free varsity swag to show off, what is it like to be a Varsity student-athlete at CMU?

It is common knowledge that CMU varsity athletes have a lot of perks on campus; special varsity only locker and training rooms, varsity personal trainers and varsity only events.

“I think that there are cool benefits to it. I get to go to the chiropractor for free and we get discounts on [treatments] other places. You get a lot of varsity gear and clothes. The locker rooms are really nice, there is a laundry area and nice showers, it’s really nice to go in there,” says Sophie Zlatarich, a midfielder for varsity women’s lacrosse.

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Varsity athletes also benefit from a unique community on campus. Training dozens of hours a week with the same people would no doubt develop bonds.

“I love being on a team. It’s a built-in support system, you are all there for each other and you get to see your friends every day,” comments freshman Abby Oglesby, CMU Track and Cross Country runner. “As an athlete, you also get to know a lot of other athletes on different teams.”

Another perk is that Varsity teams compete in games, meets, matches and tournaments all across the U.S. traveling to places from Florida to California, all paid for by the University.

“We get to travel. I’m not stuck in Grand Junction every weekend. I like to get out and get away sometimes,” Oglesby said. 

In addition to the many benefits, it is certainly recognized that it takes extreme time requirements, effort and commitment to be on Varsity.

“I always see people, like my friends, going on cool hikes and going to see movies but I don’t really have time for that during the week,” said Oglesby, who practices two to four hours a day, six days a week. “I’ll have classes and then I have practice and then right after that I’ll be doing homework the rest of the night.”

“It takes up a lot of my time and I don’t get a lot of free time to do other things… sometimes there are nights where I have to choose to stay in because of my lacrosse schedule the next day,” Zlatarich said. “I have enough time to do clubs and other things I want to do but sometimes I can’t go to every single scheduled time that I’d like to.”

Varsity athletes have to represent their university in the NCAA and do their best and that means a lot of training and tough workouts, a big step up from High School.

“It is way less laid back than high school. You have to go every ay, unless you’re super sick, you don’t really have a choice, you have to go whether you want to or not. It’s a big commitment for sure,” Zlatarich says.

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Oglesby explains, “College athletics is the next step. You have to be really committed and want to take part in that. You can’t slack off in your workouts and expect to see pay off. In track, and every sport here, you are expected to give a hundred percent every day.”

These hardworking athletes also have to work as hard as students. All of CMU’s teams require full-time student status, minimum GPA’s, usually a 3.0 and mandatory study halls, but does the tough schedule actually help?

Abby Oglesby thinks so.

“I don’t think it has affected my ability to do well in classes, if anything, it has made me perform better because of the time management skills I have learned.”

“I stay focused and organized because I have a weekly schedule that I have to stick to,” remarks Zlatarich.

However, the strict academic requirements don’t mean athletes don’t catch a break once in a while. The university understands how tough this is and gives students as many helping hands they can.

“We get to sign up for classes before everyone else,” Oglesby said. “Professors can sometimes be more lenient about assignment deadlines because they understand how busy athletes are, especially when they travel.”

So with the constant effort it takes to manage the barrage of workouts, classes and social life, is it worth it?

“I think it is worth it. Being a part of a team, doing something on this level is really good for someone, it will definitely help in the future for getting jobs and working with others in the future. The time it takes out of my day, it can be really stressful, and it can be too much on my plate but you just have to push through,” Zlatarich confesses. “Sometimes it can be really grueling but sometimes it can be really fun and you enjoy being there and you are happy you are doing it.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I would do with my life without Varsity. It’s kept me sane,” Oglesby said.