IllumiNATE: Sports: They Wander Off the Field and Into Your Life

NATE GARCIA
Assistant Sports Editor

We athletes have all heard it, “Focus! This is your time! Pain is temporary! Quitting is forever!” Those are the words that circle the locker room before a game. They can help you get at the top of your game when it is needed most. However, what happens after you win league or stand on the podium?

Whatever the reason for participating, the confidence achieved by excellence in a sport can sometimes wander into classrooms.

Confidence in sports can give students a reason to keep their grades up. In order to stay on a team, athletes must have a minimum 2.0 GPA. The requirement keeps most athletes striving to maintain their grades; no one wants to get kicked off a team before league finals.

Confidence is a fundamental building block of being an athlete. However, it shouldn’t overpower them so much that it causes a significant change in the athlete’s attitude towards other classmates. Being a varsity athlete, I know how hard it is not to have a smug attitude toward my friends when it comes to those “I’m faster than you” debates. The words that come out can lower the self-esteem of others, and can also create an arrogant picture of themselves.

Sports allow us to break away from school, to be set free where no pen is required. Nevertheless, it is important that every student-athlete maintain a humble nature and good study habits to achieve the full respect of others both in the classroom and on the field.