Putting the BA in basketball

The average student barely has enough time to keep up with studies alone, but the student athlete must practically create time to manage both worlds equally.

Jordan Tew

The Silhouette

There is an old saying that goes, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” The statement is exemplified by every varsity athlete at McMaster. Balancing a full academic schedule with games and practices is no easy task, especially when travel is necessary. An athlete’s work ethic and time management skills are often overlooked by many people, including those who are not devoted fans or have not had the “behind the scenes” vantage point of knowing the day-to-day lives of athletes.

Instead, the common stereotype of “meat-head,” “basket weaver” and the most common, “jock,” are still the mainstays in the public’s opinion of student athletes. Such words carry a negative connotation and often paint the picture of an athlete who does not attend class, much less study for assignments and tests. In addition, these titles assume that the athlete’s chosen major is not one of high educational prestige, but rather a simplistic mindless program, such as the notorious “basket weaving degree,” to ensure time and mind space is focused on the sport and achieving the dream of one day making the “pros.”

Those stereotypes are incorrect, because the dream of making it to the pros rarely becomes reality for the average student athlete. This is partly because the percentage of players who survive to the pros without major injury, actually play a sport that generates a sustainable income and are talented enough to be considered elite, is fractional in comparison to the total number of athletes that proudly don the Maroon and Grey. While a few student athletes will certainly go on to experience further athletic notoriety and success, many others will continue on to further their academic credentials at the Masters level or find success in their individual professions or careers.

The level of success for McMaster athletes both on and off the court can be attributed to the unrivaled athletic program and the “education first” culture that exists at the university. McMaster student athletes don’t aspire to bide their time in the post-secondary world until they make it “big” in the athletic world. Rather, the students know that they are earning a degree from one of the top universities in the nation, while having the privilege of playing a sport for which they have both the love and talent to play. The student athletes are encouraged to recognize the importance of their degree and how it will be relevant and beneficial to their professional lives after they hang up their jersey for the last time.

The importance of education is brought to the forefront, with each player’s major being listed in the game day roster for all fans to see. When you look down any roster, you will see programs of study such as Nursing, MBA, Economics etc., demonstrating that these are cerebral student athletes who understand what it takes to succeed in the classroom and on the playing field, and will carry what they learned at school into the real world.

Aside from earning a valuable degree, student athletes learn the invaluable life skills of self-discipline, work ethic and time management through their grueling daily schedules. For example, being a player on the McMaster Men’s Basketball team is a full-week commitment. An average of three to five hours daily is devoted to basketball on top of schoolwork. For instance, on a typical Monday, the team begins watching film at 5:30 p.m., where they critique both their play and study their opponents. This is followed by a 6:30 practice, which, depending on the time of year will last one and a half to two hours. After practice, a 45-minute weight lifting session is completed to maintain strength through the season. After all this, athletes must spend time stretching and submerging their bodies in ice so that they are able to do the very same thing the next day.

A game day is quite different. Take a Wednesday “Away Game” in Windsor for example. The bus to the game would leave around noon in order to arrive in time for both the women’s and men’s games, starting at 6 and 8 p.m. respectively, and would not return back at campus until two in the morning. Many players have to attend early-morning classes the next day. Depending on scheduling, Wednesday away games often occur during a time when schoolwork is at its heaviest, amplifying the idea of a mid-week hump day.

The common argument for why athletes should have such busy schedules is that they receive athletic scholarships. In reality, not everyone who is an athlete receives a scholarship. Further, Ontario Universities cannot offer full scholarships, so athletes require additional financial support in order to be able to afford the cost of their tuition, books and living expenses. Since the majority of varsity sports last all year (combining training and competition), maintaining a job on top of trying to excel in both the athletic and academic spaces is very difficult. Finally, if athletes were to receive a scholarship, it would be based on excelling and maintaining a certain academic standard, including a grade point average and a specific number of classes taken each semester.

McMaster athletes have learned to take advantage of that hour between classes, to attend the often-underused office hours that professors hold and to register in courses that fit around practice and game times. They have learned to live a hectic, extremely busy and performance-based lifestyle because they are so organized and driven to the point that real life will not be much of a surprise.

So if you want something done, give it to a jock. Better yet, give it to a student athlete.