20 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 18, 1998
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HERCRACK
} ECK WAx j x YL_ OUT
OF BE, au EELS
PHYSICALLY EXAU REC
T~uc ERCK,
THE WWA ANR-
COLLEGIATE SPR UWGTH
SACRIFICES TRA MU MADE.
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S t takes a lot of dedication,' Erbeck says. "You
3hink, ' could sleep if I didn't do this sport.' But
once you get to practice, all you think about is
rowing. 've always wanted to do it - to a reach a
goal ."
Making time
in terms of hours, playing an intercollegiate sport
at the University is very demanding of athletes.
Organizing the days in such a way as to efficiently
use all the time requires discipline and hard work,
coaches and student athletes said.
"Everything is more structured," Erbeck said.
"You just don't have the time to hang outside your
dorm room talking to people like other students."
Through their years at the University, student ath-
letes become experts at finding the time to do their
homework. When weekends come around and many
teams travel the country, bags are not only packed
with hockey sticks and paddles, but with books and
pencils as well.
"'When I used to travel with the teams, I would
always be surprised to see how they studied on the
buses. in their hotel rooms," said Amy Carlton, assis-
tant director of athletic media relations. "They're
like any other college student."
Squeezing out every minute out of every day for
academics and athletics means student athletes have
little tme for what many other students take for
granted - socializing.
"We sacrifice free time and our social life' said
Marie Barda, a Kinisiology sophomore and pitcher
for the Michigan softball team. "We rush ourselves
al the time. It seems like other students have more
time on their hands.:
Excelling at sports not only demands a huge time
commnitment, but also physical energy. At the end of
a two-hour practice, student athletes, tired as they
may be, hav to start doing their homework.
"There's a lot of time management involved," said
Ryan Kelly, an Education senior and a pitcher for the
Michigan baseball team. "You're doing a lot of phys-
ical exercise. It's hard to stay up late and study some-
times.'"
The NCAA limits the amount of time student ath-
letes can practice to 20 hours of week, but many said
a commitment to the sports program requires extra
time.
Whitney Scherer, an academic counselor for the
Student Athletes Support Program, likens the extra
me Jathletes devote to their sports to the homework
that is expected of regular students.
Academic pressures aren't the only stress student
athletes face, Carlton said. The glare of media atten-
ion on the field can sometimes be overwhelming.
"There is more pressure because they are ath-
letes Carlton said. "Being in the spotlight certainly
is mtore stires
athletil yn
the outid
fr:
AihleticDl
In.
Hlutchuins, M
"T[he Coa(e
produce .o
so are ouiwt
Studentrt
suresofeiii.
sports parap
athletes enjo
"As an t
"People mk
but they a
Spendn I.
"It takes ai
Steven Law
balanc'ing ct
a solid eihc
c~r-
Un uike
Universityi
Fa,
s.andar....
Universiyp
w ith mena I
ei
"The A...
1irepOrta'te r
letics." sad
presidn or
Co... i.. ,....
represn sCit
camne heeI e
son who wa
Tihat mrkes
Many pe ~
letic progra
eneouirages
nmhc dreanc
at the Uie
"It roears
the acem
athlete;. (r
only avaiab
time
Other sh
mee t .
munao
in the a.
0
IN uNANE/Daily
Iclan women's track coach Jame Br 'ise ndees y es erday at Ferry FIeld, as
*1
u ~o vw with faculty to gis e si c
u C' hey need."
Mottams hold their practie '
mebrs must schedul thi
t p~. or2 pm Student athletes dolt
n vrie fr classes front prf s
h i tak to professors on thaon
Somtims he Athlei Dea oe
o' ra hlete' textbooks. As pa Ae
shi pcage some studenm atheesrr
A etocs for free. They ma'px
eat thee cards to a booktr to ~
es whch must be returned attee
Players for life
Moe than winnine ames an
ctt'good grades, hem a
mn 't athete brie s self
ntdetce and ma urity.
cueour guys to
;~ ( V (3off Zahn,
IVihgn base-
a- ball coach,
uo Ld a me dis-
stne'nse e
wompy te
iuvctveet
ra ma e-domi-
the ins ad. r
was ne. being invo ved
£m i at e a ives them
co' lee," Hutchins
areFeer femnale athletes are
a m eb their husbands or get
n erealy A tired iustln Goble, an Li oiur
he qai=is avarsity memer ofthece n
Sath es
eme~mes hlp staden athets looking for
u r ek o wor expri.e, a result of time
es, oien mak ther resumes look less
anda sdents hve put into
sper the dont ge th jeb experience
vers ook r. Beng a [the :nets you a foot
doo bu inoes't tA i r fri beiug slammed
u-j !")o
Fortheoerof the game
ed wethr thy wuldever give up athletics
he nedomof egulr stdens, most athletes
e h es they have
vi ak 'tof these guys
Ia rath r be sit-
t nk cywould pick
ha~I 'ahe said.
bond that
Sb ifd phyicalt
thyhang out
i team-
mts, not for
-. but for the
feigof com-
on understand-
'ur team is real-
iie y nwe at
Cling ogeth
nst gther
.4.hey.re going
~ (.~3'I.~ rtla. nd like
mch of the
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