Students who participate in athletics are commonly known as student-athletes, but sometimes the responsibilities and commitments for the “student” conflict with the “athlete” and vice versa. The Exponent invited a few student athletes to share about their busy schedules and discuss how they have balanced school and sports during season.  

Sophomore chemistry major Carly Kern, who plays lacrosse, broke down what a day looks like for her.  

“I wake up and study for about an hour before I go to do research at 9 a.m. … until noon, meaning I miss the 11 a.m. team lift. Then [I go to] Spanish and lab before practice at 3:30 p.m. Practice ends at 6:30 p.m., then dinner and homework,” Kern said.  

The players, coaches and university faculty try to work around class schedules to reduce conflicts. Lauren Comack, a sophomore finance major and member of the women’s lacrosse team, said she has experienced many of these instances. Her class meeting times will interfere with travel departure times, meetings or practices.   

Additionally, many athletes battle long-term injuries that require therapy to help with pain or discomfort.  

“Personally, I’ve had issues with my back recently,” Kern said. “It’s the worst when I’m sitting down, so even putting in three hours of study time is hard.”  

With a busy class load, it can be hard for injured athletes to find enough time to properly care for their injuries.  

“I prioritize recovery,” said Taylor Miklos, a sophomore neuroscience major. “Finding time to get treatment, extra exercise or stretches, or even just ice baths is hard.”  

BW’s sports management program helps students begin their careers by offering networking opportunities like hosting trips to major sporting events.   

CJ Kessler, a junior sports management major, said he sometimes cannot attend soccer events because of the commitments he has due to his major.  

Despite the long hours that are put in and the sacrifices that these athletes make, when asked how much they love their sport, all responded with either an eight or nine out of 10.   

Comack said playing lacrosse was worth the struggle, and she will always remember the memories she’s made.