tips for athletes?

[biobossx99]

ugh, this semester, my academic performance has been really hindered by my club sport. I practice about 25 or so hours a week.

I know that college would be such a breeze without premed and\or a sport, but both are really important to me.

yea, just a general round about question.

Anyone out there have any tips? (specifically Premed/Rowers? Men's155Lwt)?

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[asdasd12345]

if you want to make an omelete you have to break some eggs

 

[liverotcod]

A tip, I guess. Try to get your social needs fulfilled during other tasks. This is what I have done working 50+ hours a week plus school plus pre-med activities (volunteering, MCAT prep, etc.) Since I go to school with friends and work with friends and live with friends (my wife and kids), I don't really need any time that's specifically for socializing. The only thing I do only for myself is running, and that's only 6-8 hours a week.

For what it's worth. Good luck. Sounds like you have your priorities in order.

 

[Sharkfan]

If ya really want to know, and really want to do both, then:

It's all about scheduling and time management. Be realistic about how much time you are going to have to take certain course loads. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Find out what the easy classes are and take them alongside harder ones. Never take more than two "hard" (ie lots of studying time required) classes per semester. Strive to find classes that will require as little work as humanly possible. Prioritize- do you really need to do the reading for a class, or can you get away with not doing it and devoting more time to other classes? If you are taking a time-intensive course, try to steer clear of classes that will require a lot of reading. It may not be hard, but your time is precious.

These are just a few tips. Keep in mind that I do not advocate slacking, nor am I telling you to slack off. This is just my (tested and true) advice on how to manage athletics/serious time commitments and academics. Enjoy, and good luck. It can be done!!

 

[LoneCoyote]

I was an athlete in college and for me I had to be really strict about time management. It was hard because I am a huge procrastinator and sometimes ended up sacrificing on the sleep which hurts you on many levels. If I wanted to have some time to just chill with friends, I had to learn to use every single moment of time wisely. We had a lot of downtime in the van going to and from practices and meets so I always studied in the van. Also, I'd try to get reading/studying in during breakfast and lunch and usually made dinner my social meal. I found that there really was a good chunk of time during my day that got wasted and using that really helped me. Good luck

 

[Nike]

I've been a varsity athlete the past four years, and it's definitely not easy . . . like when you have 6 am practices and were up studying til 4. Like other people have said, time management is the key. You must plan ahead and use every minute you've got. I find that going home in between classes is a big waste of time, so when things get busy, I'll stay on campus all day and study between every class. Sometimes I'll photo copy pages from my text books (so i dont have lug around all my books). I often bring a headset along so that if I'm stuck at one of the dining halls, I can tune everything out. When we're on the road traveling as a team, again, I bring a headset along and study on the bus.

Remember to still have fun. Seriously . . . you don't want to get burnt out. Hope that helps. Good luck and hang in there

 

[skiingdoc]

I am a perfect example. My grades definitely suffered due to my involvement in sports... but I got accepted to my first choice school anyway. I think most schools are looking for well rounded candidates. So continue with your sport, do well in it and be prepared to defend yourself when you start interviewing because they will ask.

I should be honest though, I did very well in my athletic endeavors and I am certain that helped a lot.

 

[bubbajones]

man a club sport is nothin. Im a varsity football player and that takes up a **** load of time. All I do is study and play football. My suggestion is to just study when u have free time and before and after practice.

 

[umass rower]

I had a longer post written, but i accidentally clicked a link and it got erased, so here's the short version.

As a fellow rower, I can relate to how much time gets sucked up by a sport, and crew specifically. However, my grades improved after I joined my team (my sophomore year). The reason is that I naturally procrastinate, so having a sport forced me to schedule my time. I feel that I use my time to its fullest, but in the end I still lose out on a lot of sleep. I picked up some tricks along the way though.

Schedule classes in blocks, without spaces in between them. This will let you get workouts in and let you schedule "other" things more easily.
Get used to not sleeping enough. Can't help on that one.
Take naps if you have a little free time. They'll help keep you going if it's been a rough week.
Work with people in your classes. Cooperation can lighten the load on the individuals in a group.

And bubbajones, I'm sure football takes up a lot of your time and is a tough sport to keep up in, but I don't think you should knock crew unless you've tried the training regimen for a month. I wouldn't really put it at the same level as your average club sport at most schools.

Good luck on your season, biobossx99!

 

[drlexygoat]

I feel your pain.... I was on the Women's Lightweight 8 for 2 years and it was veyr difficult fitting those practices in. I'm sure you've learned how hard it is to schedule weights, runs, and erg pieces in between study sessions for chem, bio, and god-knows what else.

My suggestion to you if your grades may have slipped a little bit.... incorporate your atheltic involvement into your personal essay. Dont' use it as an excuse to make up for so-so academic performance, but comment on how it has made you an better applicant. I made reference to the fact that crew taught me discipline, teamwork, etc. You get the drift.

 

[elee20]

I agree with drlexygoat and sharkfan, definitely mention your involvement in athletics but don't make it an excuse. From my experience, even though my grades are not stellar, I absolutely learned how to manage time more effectively and prioritize and we practiced way more than 25 hours a week. So my tip would be to become excellent at time management skills and learn to prioritize. Good luck!

 

[drlexygoat]

man a club sport is nothin. Im a varsity football player and that takes up a **** load of time. .

What do you know about crew? When's the last time you did a 90 minute rowing piece at 5am. you have NO idea what this guy is going through.
Just like he's not making generalizations about you and football, you shouldn't insinuate that you've got it harder than he is.

Men's crew at our school, also a club sport, puts in the EXACT same amount of time as the women's NCAA team. Club does not equal easier.

 

[Cerberus]

What do you know about crew? When's the last time you did a 90 minute rowing piece at 5am. you have NO idea what this guy is going through.
Just like he's not making generalizations about you and football, you shouldn't insinuate that you've got it harder than he is.

Men's crew at our school, also a club sport, puts in the EXACT same amount of time as the women's NCAA team. Club does not equal easier.

Ugh! It pisses me off when some dip**** who has never been involved with crew goes off and disses it. Look, we work out at 5:30am nearly every morning and oftentimes we work out 2 times a day. You think rowing is easy? You get your ass on an erg and pull a 2k with me one morning...guess what, it hurts. As if the weekly training isnt a time drain to begin with add in spring training (days consisting of 7+ hours of training), and race season where are gone every weekend.

To the OP, for me crew improved my time managment skills. In fact since I've been out for the last 3 weeks (do to knee injury) i've been unable to focus for crap and havent gotten anything done. My grades have taken a definite drop without crew. Just prioritize, and realize you have to make some sacrifices.

Oh and lightweight crew represent

 

[elee20]

Sick 'em boys, sick 'em

 

[Ol' Blue Eyes]

I am a perfect example. My grades definitely suffered due to my involvement in sports... but I got accepted to my first choice school anyway. I think most schools are looking for well rounded candidates.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Find out what the easy classes are and take them alongside harder ones.

Good advice Sharkfan. I tried to double major for some nutty reason and also rowed club crew all four years spending more time rowing than studying. My grades suffered tremendously, and I will have to hope that my experience will prove to be similar to that of skiingdoc.

Skiingdoc: I know you said that you did very well with athletics but I am curious to know if your UG GPA was also outstanding. If it was not, I would have more hope for myself.

 

[willthatsall]

I play basketball and I think sports are a good thing because even though it takes a lot of time, if you like it you will find time for everything you need to do. 25 hours a week really isn't that much if you can manage your time well. Med schools will reward you for playing a sport and it could be worse because you could be working 30-40 hours a week like a lot of people do and not have anything to show for it. What I mean by that is I think med schools will regard an athlete more favorably than someone who works a part time job to pay for school. Everyone acts like playing a sport is such a tough thing to do, but the people who really work the hardest are the ones who have to get jobs to pay for school.

 

[ventulus18]

i ran D1 big east cross country and indoor/outdoor track for 4 years. it's def. worth it because my teammates are my best friends, theyre interested in things outside of biochemistry class, which is pretty important. as far as how to swing it;i used to think that i would have tons to study if i just quit the team. then i realized i wouldnt be studying, i would probably just be sittin on my ass during that time and doing nothing. come to think of it, i did a lot of that with track and bio major. plus sports keep you in shape and thats more important than you think. bottom line it comes down to time mang. and getting your stuff done during the week so that weekends you can relax on trips. i never brought a book or computer with me...notecards at most. try to figure out a way just to review on the weekends and do your main studying and schoolwork during the week. being in shape coming into comp. in the fall made things a lot easier and a lot less stressful (physically)

 

[bubbajones]

Man how can you even compare crew to Football? Football is rough and it's a man's game. And plus since I am on a full ride it takes up all of my time. I dont even consider crew a "sport." Crew is for rich yuppies who want to be considered athletes. You dont have to deal with injuries and it doesnt take up all your mornings, afternoons, weekends and summers. Now dont get all defensive on me. Football is big down here in Texas. I take it you are from up north or back east.

 

[Cerberus]

Man how can you even compare crew to Football? Football is rough and it's a man's game. And plus since I am on a full ride it takes up all of my time. I dont even consider crew a "sport." Crew is for rich yuppies who want to be considered athletes. You dont have to deal with injuries and it doesnt take up all your mornings, afternoons, weekends and summers. Now dont get all defensive on me. Football is big down here in Texas. I take it you are from up north or back east.

You don't get it. We work just as hard as you football players without the benefit of a full ride and tons of free ****.

 

[bubbajones]

Whatever crew is not that hard all you do is row a damn boat down the river. Im sure you can compete with the women. But as for football you would get your skinny a$$ kicked off the field. Football players work HARDER than some rich spoiled brat in a boat. Maybe if you were good enough you would have a full ride too my friend, but obviously your not that great at your "sport"

 

[TheGuy2000]

Look you ignorant clown, bubba, no one cares about your misinformed opinions. Until you have woken up at 5:30 in the morning gotten out of your dorm, run a mile to the docks in 10 degree Connecticut weather, taken the boat out, set it down in the water, and then done 3 head pieces, you have no f...ing clue what you are talking about. I've run cc for 4 years of high school, soccer for 4 years, and yes even football for a year, and NOTHING compares to crew. You want to talk about aches and injuries. I had to give up crew because my back is so f..ed from all the strain. It's the most rigorous shi.t I've ever been through so seriously SHUT UP.

 

[Cerberus]

Whatever crew is not that hard all you do is row a damn boat down the river. Im sure you can compete with the women. But as for football you would get your skinny a$$ kicked off the field. Football players work HARDER than some rich spoiled brat in a boat. Maybe if you were good enough you would have a full ride too my friend, but obviously your not that great at your "sport"

Yeah, all you do is row a boat up a river Similar logic would say that all you do is gain a ton a weight and use your fat ass to block someone. Of course I don't believe that but i'm not the one calling football a ***** sport.

Tell you what, go get your bad ass on an erg and set it for two thousand meters. Row it at under a 7:30 (slow end of a female varsity boat) and tell me how hardcore you feel afterwards.

As for the "rich spoiled brat" comment, that makes me laugh considering I got FAP from the aamc

 

[bubbajones]

First of all I am not ignorant. I wake up at 4 every morning lift weights and work out. Go to morning practice. Go to school then go to afternoon practice. Not to mention all the team meetings. And seriously you need to shut the F@ck up. Football is a tougher than all sports. I was a varsity athete all 4 yrs of HS Football, Basketball, and baseball. So who gives a ****, Im the one with a scholarship not you. So why dont you go compete with the women you gay a$$ because you obviously cant compete in football.

 

[Cerberus]

First of all I am not ignorant. I wake up at 4 every morning lift weights and work out. Go to morning practice. Go to school then go to afternoon practice. Not to mention all the team meetings. And seriously you need to shut the F@ck up. Football is a tougher than all sports. I was a varsity athete all 4 yrs of HS Football, Basketball, and baseball. So who gives a ****, Im the one with a scholarship not you. So why dont you go compete with the women you gay a$$ because you obviously cant compete in football.

You are a clown dude. "Football is tougher than all other sports" I suppose it would take a big stupid cube like you to believe that.

 

[ventulus18]

if you dont mind me asking, what school did you play for?

Whatever crew is not that hard all you do is row a damn boat down the river. Im sure you can compete with the women. But as for football you would get your skinny a$$ kicked off the field. Football players work HARDER than some rich spoiled brat in a boat. Maybe if you were good enough you would have a full ride too my friend, but obviously your not that great at your "sport"

 

[bubbajones]

Im not "fat" I bench 320 and squat 430. So shut your mouth. Crew is a weakling sport.

PS: Edited by Neuronix (moderator). Please no foul language.

 

[bubbajones]

Vent are you talking about College or HS?

 

[Neuronix]

"Football is tougher than all other sports"

Alright, stop flaming the other users. BTW, I think college football is rigorous--probably the most rigorous up there with basketball, thanks to popularity and competition.

Actually, heck with it. I'm not going to edit much else in the thread, because it's not THAT bad, but I want to STOP. You all can poke at the other's respective sports without turning this into a flame war. Thanks.

 

[ventulus18]

i was wondering about college

 

[Cerberus]

Alright, stop flaming the other users. BTW, I think college football is rigorous--probably the most rigorous up there with basketball, thanks to popularity and competition.

wtf? **** that, I was just quoting him

 

[Cerberus]

Alright, stop flaming the other users. BTW, I think college football is rigorous--probably the most rigorous up there with basketball, thanks to popularity and competition.

Actually, heck with it. I'm not going to edit much else in the thread, because it's not THAT bad, but I want to STOP. You all can poke at the other's respective sports without turning this into a flame war. Thanks.

Or you could just let people discuss things without butting in like a overzealous parent

 

[Neuronix]

If I didn't do it you know another moderator would have. Flaming and foul language are against the TOS. I can only see that this would escalate and I think it's ridiculous as it is.

If you wish to talk more about this please PM me.

 

[TheGuy2000]

Im not "fat" I bench 320 and squat 430. So shut your mouth. Crew is a weakling sport.

PS: Edited by Neuronix (moderator). Please no foul language.

Yes bubba, it's a weakling sport I'm 6'2 170 and i can bench 260 and squat 350, and dead 400, real weakling sport.

I bet u would die trying to pull a 2000m piece on an erg.

 

[bubbajones]

Man you dont know what t he hell you are talking about. I would crush you. Im 6'7 285 so dont even come at me with that ****. Rowin a damn boat is not hard Ive done it before and I bet you are skinny little **** that couldnt catch a football if it hit you in your face.

 

[Cerberus]

Man you dont know what t he hell you are talking about. I would crush you. Im 6'7 285 so dont even come at me with that ****. Rowin a damn boat is not hard Ive done it before and I bet you are skinny little **** that couldnt catch a football if it hit you in your face.

yeah whatever, I am convinced you are just a troll now

 

[bubbajones]

A troll? Ha . Im just a D1 athlete. and my looks are probably way better than yours and plus I get more girls than u

 

[TheGuy2000]

Hmm let's see you weigh 285 and only bench 320
and you only squat 430, hmmm no where near twice you're body weight
Pretty pathetic number for football
Whereas I weight 170, and clearly much stronger than u for my size.
Hell if I weighed 285 I could bench 400+ no problem, but I'm not a fat slob
Impressive stats I must say, man your football team must win the national champs every year

 

[ventulus18]

bubba- what school did you play for??

 

[bubbajones]

I guess thats why Im all southland conference 2 years in a row. And I am not fat. Im all muscle. So you dont know what the hell you are talking about. I play TE/DE 2 posistions. So I have a ton of speed. I play in every game and for your information our team has won championships within our conference. Where as you compete with the girls? I would crush you. Im taller, faster, and stronger.

 

[Cerberus]

I guess thats why Im all southland conference 2 years in a row. And I am not fat. Im all muscle. So you dont know what the hell you are talking about. I play TE/DE 2 posistions. So I have a ton of speed. I play in every game and for your information our team has won championships within our conference. Where as you compete with the girls? I would crush you. Im taller, faster, and stronger.

You also havent done jack to back your claims. If you are as great as you say you are lets see some proof.

edit* if thats you in that picture, I am curious... How much does it cost to get laid with an ugly mug like that?

 

[willthatsall]

I'm not sure how the "toughness" of a sport, or whether you are on a full ride, has any effect on how much time the sport takes out of your day. I hate people that think the sport they play makes them superior to the people who play other sports. I play DI basketball and I can promise you that us "big-time" scholarship sports don't work any harder than the lesser-known sports. We just get written/talked about more. And just so you don't believe all the crap he is saying, NCAA guidelines mandate that we practice no more than 20 hours a week in season and no more than 8 hours a week out of season while school is in session. He's a meathead, leave him be.

 

[ventulus18]

http://sfajacks.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/goode_luke00.html

end of discussion

 

[bubbajones]

check out the updated roster its 2004 now.

 

[Cerberus]

Hah! SFA! HAH

 

[umass rower]

Im not "fat" I bench 320 and squat 430. Crew is a weakling sport.

I squat 325 pounds, deadlift over 400. Seated row I maxed out the heaviest machine I could find (305 lbs.) and thirsted for more. I'm 6'0 and weigh 170 lbs if I'm lucky. I have run a mile in 5 minutes, and have no problem pounding out 2 hours of an intense cardio workout at a heart rate of 175 or so. And yet, I have only the 6th fastest erg time on my crew team, on a club team, in a rebuilding year. In football, you get injured because somebody hits you too hard (and if it's toughness that you want, why don't you drop the pads, helmets, and relaxing time and take up pro rugby?). In crew, you get injured because you repeatedly push yourself beyond your physical limits-- all of the pain that we suffer is self-inflicted, done with the knowledge that we could stop if we wanted to. But we go anyway, because if we even think of quitting, ever, we lose.

I wish I could find the story from a few months ago at www.row2k.com, but the head coach from Michigan crew (also club) pointed out that at the University of Colorado (they're a decent team, right?), the coaches felt that players were taking too much of a break on sidelines during practice. They all went on the stationary bikes previously, but the coaches switched them for rowing ergometers. Suddenly the football players stopped taking breaks. Rowing was too hard for them. From personal experience, over the winter some sections of our football team did indoor workouts on the other half of our gym from us and the women's team. I saw what they were doing for a workout; it was a joke assortment of short calisthenics-type activities (high knees setups, agility things, etc). A few members of the team were puking in trash barrels half an hour into the workout. The rest were going so slow that even the lightweight women could have blown them away (although maybe it isn't a fair comparison, since our LW women are pretty tough).

Do this for me. Prove how mighty and tough you are. Get on an erg. Set it for 2000 meters. Let me know what your time and average are. I'd be interested to know how you do.

 

[Robz]

Hah! SFA! HAH

Hey cerb I think its cause we are used to 110,000 fans at our games.....

 

[bubbajones]

Ive played rugby before. They have it as a club sport but they dont offer scholarships. I run a mile in 4 1/2 min. And are there any other football players on this board? Do you know how time consuming it is? No u dont. So all yall can jump on me and say crew is tougher, but that is BS. I'd like to see you go through some football drills.

 

[ventulus18]

so you grew over half a foot, gained a full scholarship, was awarded a couple of all conference awards ex-post facto, switched some position from snapping the ball to TE and DE and increased playing time to every game........thats not half bad!
your're the man dude im just busting your balls. relax

 

[bubbajones]

What the fu@ck are you laughin at? Stephen F Austin is a good team. And at least IM on a Full ride HAHA you *****

 

[bubbajones]

I already had a scholarship coming in.
I play TE/DE now. I switched last season.
So get your facts straight vent.