Behind the mask of an athlete

There is more about athletes than just playing inside the court.

When people think about ‘student-athletes,’ the first thing that comes to mind is that their focus is more on playing rather than their studies. People say that their whole lives revolve around sports.

However, there are ‘student-athletes’ that try their best to maintain their focus and balance their time with their academics and sports.

As a student-athlete from my high school, my time was limited to training and schoolwork. I usually finish classes at 4 p.m, start training afterward and get home by 8 or 9 p.m.

There were times when our team had conflicting schedules, as student-athletes with scholarships, we still needed to attend classes and have passing grades if we still wanted to be on the team. Every day was tiring and draining so the schoolwork I had was mostly done when I first came into school for morning classes.

That’s how much a struggle is to be a student-athlete.

But, there is more than having their game face during competitions. We cannot forget that these athletes still have emotions and they’re still human beings.

Every loss from their games can have a huge impact on them. Athletes can still feel pressure, anxiety, fears, and any emotion that normal people feel.

As time goes by, I encounter athletes that lose motivation and reason in playing. Having the same experience back then, I know there are only a few that understand the same trauma athletes have been through.

“Always find time to rest and fight again. Always find a reason and recall the reason why you chose to be an athlete,” Jam Lorenzo said, the Head Coach of the Adamson Pep Squad regarding those athletes who struggle to decide on continuing their sport or removing it from their lives.

We should try to appreciate and give recognition to those student-athletes who try their best in maintaining their grades and performance in sports. We shouldn’t treat them as machines, they have emotions and they have the right to get tired and feel downhearted as normal human beings.

Every moment that they can’t see improvement in themselves, there will always be thoughts of doubt and quitting. Some athletes might get back up with their feet and some might feel emotionally exhausted.

To those student-athletes that continue to struggle and feel doubtful of themselves, remember that you have the choice to rest. There will be times that you’ll feel helpless in an environment that surrounds you, but never get carried away from your emotions and continue to fight for your passion.