There are quite a few of student athletes that participate in the numerous sports that Colorado Mesa University has to offer, and one of them is my roommate. Nicki Schwulst is a freshman and a cheerleader. I was curious about athletics at CMU, so, I went to Schwulst to see what her opinion was about this topic.
The first question had to deal with the student-athlete policies at this school and whether or not she believed they were fair. Schwulst said, “I think they’re pretty fair because you have to maintain a certain GPA to stay on the team.”
I asked her if student-athletes are held to a higher standard than other students.
“I want to say yes and no, just because it requires more grades and responsibility than students who aren’t athletes,” Schwulst said. “Student athletes can’t get caught doing drugs or drinking, whereas students who aren’t part of a club or sport won’t get into as much trouble or get kicked off the team.”
So are there more benefits for student athletes?
Schwulst said, “I don’t think so because I don’t have as much free time because of practice.”
Along with that note, what are some of the struggles that student-athletes face?
Schwulst said, “Just finding the time to do homework and missing class for the sport.”
My final question referred to whether or not athletics has helped Schwulst maintain better grades.
Schwulst said, “Yes because I’m doing the sport that I love. I don’t want to let my teammates down because I can’t maintain a certain GPA.”
What’s my point of view in discussing student-athletics? Well for starters, I believe that the policies that Colorado Mesa University has in place for its student-athletes are fair and extremely important. Coming from a high school where I was able to participate in all three sports that were offered for females, I learned to live up to the similar expectations that are enforced at this school.
As a student-athlete, it is very important to maintain a good GPA and keep up with good grades. Afterall, if a student-athlete was able to slack off in the classroom, how would they be held accountable for responsibility? I mean it’s literally in the name “student-athlete.” Being a student comes first and athlete comes second. Responsibility doesn’t just go for grades and GPAs either. Student athletes should be held accountable for doing drugs and drinking alcohol.
As a collegiate student athlete, you are a major role model not just to the school, but for other students beyond the college. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t look up to someone who was caught doing drugs or drinking when they should have been sober and clean. And as a coach, I wouldn’t appreciate being represented that way either.
So how do we show our support to our student-athletes? How do we encourage them to maintain good GPAs and make healthy decisions? These student-athletes enjoy playing the sports that they love and they enjoy doing it in front their supporters. With your help of going to the games, we could create a positive impact on encouraging our student athletes to make the right choices.
