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By André Sardinha
sardinhaa@findlay,edu
A new study published in the Journal of Athlete Development and Experience found that college student-athletes face significant academic barriers during their competitive seasons, with time management, travel demands, and balancing obligations emerging as the most common challenges.
The study, which sampled 176 athletes across nine institutions, reported that academic barriers were overwhelmingly extrinsic, meaning athletes struggled most with factors outside their control, such as scheduling conflicts, missed classes, and limited study time. These findings mirror the experiences of student-athletes at the University of Findlay, who say the season often feels like a second full-time job layered on top of their academic responsibilities. Early-morning lifts, long bus rides, practices, and constant performance pressure collide with exams, labs, and homework, making the balance far more demanding than most people realize.
Keegan Grant, a senior goalkeeper for the University of Findlay men’s soccer team, has maintained a 4.0 GPA while earning Goalkeeper of the Year during the 2024-25 season. Even with his success, he said academics become significantly harder once games begin.
“It’s probably catching up on in-class assignments or homework that I miss from being absent because of sporting events,” Grant said. “Especially when midterms or big assignments are coming up, it can be difficult trying to catch up on important information that I wasn’t there to learn.”
Travel is one of the biggest obstacles, as long away game trips often mean missing full days of classes and returning home late at night.
“It’s especially tough when we get back at 12, 1, or even 2 a.m. from a long trip,” Grant said.
He added that Thursday classes are the hardest to manage because games frequently fall on Thursdays, causing him to miss half the semester’s meetings.
Cat Graves, a senior goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team, faces similar challenges. Graves, who is dual-majoring in pre-veterinary and biology, said the season makes it difficult to find enough time to study for her hardest classes.
“Staying on top of homework isn’t a huge struggle for me, but making sure I have enough time to study for all my harder classes is tough,” she said. “Two semesters ago, I was in organic chemistry, and for those exams, I had to study for at least a week.”
For Graves, travel days are especially difficult because she gets motion sickness. She recalled a trip to Kentucky Wesleyan as one of the hardest moments of the season.
“It was probably an eight-hour bus ride,” she said. “Every time I tried to do work, I would get super stomach sick, so it was almost impossible to get anything done.”
She said she feels the most academic pressure after games.
“I usually leave all my academic stuff for after games, and sometimes that catches up to me in a bad way.”
While the challenges are significant, the University of Findlay offers several academic support options designed to help student-athletes stay on track. The Academic Support Center provides free tutoring, group study sessions, faculty study hours and drop‑in help for subjects like chemistry and math. Students can schedule 45‑minute tutoring appointments through Starfish or attend evening drop‑in hours throughout the week.
The Writing Center also offers one‑on‑one, 45‑minute appointments to help students with essays, lab reports, and other writing assignments, resources that many athletes use when their schedules allow. Coaches and athletic staff often encourage athletes to take advantage of these services, and some teams hold structured study tables during the season to help players stay organized. Although not every team has a designated academic coach, athletes say this campus resources become especially important during heavy travel weeks or when major exams overlap with competition.
These challenges aren’t limited to college athletes. Gustavo Rodrigues, sports director for Clube Desportivo Nacional da Madeira, has worked with youth players for years and sees the same patterns.
“The biggest challenge is managing time,” Rodrigues said. “Players have trained almost every day, plus travel and matches on weekends. By the time they get home, they’re tired. That makes it difficult to stay consistent with studying.” Rodrigues said the club always emphasizes that academics come first, even if that means adjusting training schedules. He recalled a player who had national exams during an important tournament. “We decided he would skip the first two days of the tournament to focus on studying,” he said. “It was the right decision.”
Despite the challenges, all three sources agree that planning ahead, communicating with professors or coaches, and staying disciplined are the keys to success. As Rodrigues put it, “Discipline is what separates the ones who manage both worlds well.”
