Managing priorities is an important part of mastering the balancing act otherwise known as “college.” Schoolwork, friendships, communication with loved ones at home, and the essentials such as eating and sleeping all require the proper time, attention, energy, and focus throughout the day. Balance is crucial if one wishes to maintain any level of sanity or adequate grades. But once a collegiate level sport is factored into the equation, things get harder. The balance beam becomes narrower once the term “student-athlete” is thrown around.

Being a part of a college sports team has both its benefits and its setbacks, and balancing the elements of school and sports is definitely a skill that can be sharpened throughout your college career. As an athlete, I have learned one prominent lesson when it comes to being the “perfect” example of a Cairn Highlander and a Cairn student.

Students may often say that balancing schoolwork is the hardest part of playing a sport and being a full-time student. Others may say that balancing relationships, either with a significant other or even friends, is the most challenging while playing a sport. And still some would say that leaving room for God is the hardest part. In my opinion, the hardest part of playing a sport while in college is remembering that being perfect in every discipline—school, sports, friends, my relationship with God—is not part of the job description in being a college student. One of the hardest lessons I learned while here at Cairn, and throughout the middle of basketball season, was that it’s  perfectly okay to mess up while trying to balance everything. Sports, grades, and friends are all very important and huge blessings while in college, but being the perfect athlete, student, and friend is not possible. Through different challenges in my athletic life, accompanied by my personal life, being a student-athlete taught me that having it all together is impossible, and that I never will have it all together.   

Some people like to categorize “athlete” and “student” as two entirely different entities; but once my feet hit the court, or step inside the classroom, I’m well aware that although my shoes may change, my identity does not. Being a student-athlete is hyphenated for a reason—it’s one title referring to the identity of a person. Balancing both sides of that label can prove to be the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. You learn your fair share of lessons, experience your fair share of trials, and receive your fair share of hurts and losses. But ultimately, being a student-athlete is one of the most rewarding titles to be incorporated into your identity; the lessons learned from the trials, hurts, and losses are irreplaceable, and end up molding your character more than you would have originally thought.