Sharlene's Blog: How to succeed as an athlete at SC State University?

Between homework, campus clubs, internships, and many other college related situations that athletes have to focus on, I wanted to know how they stay successful at football while dealing with all these other important factors in college. According to exactsports.com, "You can balance your academics and athletics by mastering your time management in college, reaching out to your teachers, using every opportunity to study, utilize your campus resources, learning from your academic mistakes, and schedule classes that fit your athletic schedule." Also, according to ncaa.org, "An NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study released last year, the number of student-athletes reporting mental health concerns is 1.5 to two times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. An NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study in the fall 2021, which was released in May 2022, examined the experiences of 9,808 college athletes. Respondents reported elevated rates of mental exhaustion and anxiety. Mental health concerns were highest among demographic subgroups commonly displaying higher rates of mental distress (e.g., women, student-athletes of color, those identifying on the queer spectrum and those reporting family economic hardship). I asked three

I asked Patrick Jenkins, who is a senior Communications major, how does he balance school and athletics. He said, "You have to have the mindset in your mind that priorities come first with playing sports while in school. The way I think about it is if I want to play any sport I must have the grades, or I won’t even be able to play. I’ve always been active and loved playing sports so I just had to find a way to manage my schoolwork in order to continue playing." I asked him what keeps him motivated to go to football practice. He said, "I love sports and football has been my game since I was a little kid. I played basketball and football in school until it was time for college, and I knew football was where my passion was. Some people don’t like football practice, but I like it because it helps you compete and get better every day. " The last question that I asked him was if he must maintain a certain GPA to stay on the football team. He said, "You don’t need a certain GPA but to be eligible to play you must meet NCAA requirements. I can’t remember the exact requirements but I do know you have to maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and be a full time student."

I asked Jared Kirksey, who is a senior Communications major, the previous questions. Here are his responses. "Balancing school and athletics are all about time management. Some weeks are harder than others depending on assignments and also game schedules along with practice but you have to try your best to balance it; My motivation for practice is I plan on going to the NFL and I know that takes hard work and dedication. Practice is just another part of that work to get better each day; You must avoid failing classes in order to stay eligible. If not, you won’t be able to play the next season depending on how many classes you fail, so you have to pass as many classes as possible."

I asked Lawson Danley, who is a senior Communications major, the previous questions. Here are his responses. "Coming into South Carolina State as a freshman, it was difficult getting accustomed to my schedule with athletics in college. It was an immediate difference from when I was in High school, having a block style schedule and only having practice after school. Now being in my Senior year, what I’ve learned is that in college, you’re doing way more for football and more in school. Time management is a very crucial thing as a college athlete. You’re going to be doing a lot during the day and throughout the week, and if you don’t manage your time well you won’t be able to get your work done; What keeps me motivated to come to practice is honestly just my love for the game. I’ve loved all sports my whole life and growing up that’s all I ever wanted to do. I knew at an early age that whatever I did in this world, it would have someone to do with athletics. My dream was always to go to the NFL like my father did back in the 80s. The older I became, the more realistic my dream became and I understood the chances of me getting an opportunity to play professionally someday are slim. So, everyone doesn’t get to play the sport they love forever, so I take advantage and enjoy every next practice, meeting, or game because it won’t last forever."

For the last question he said, "Yes, you have to maintain a certain GPA as well as passing a certain amount of credit hours each semester to be eligible to play that season. Each University has their own policies for their program, but every Division 1 University has to have the minimum requirements by the NCAA. To be eligible to play in the fall season, you have to maintain a core GPA of a 2.3 or better to be eligible, and you have to of passed at least 12 credit hours."