All about student athletes

Being an athlete at Southern University is more than putting on a uniform and showing up on game day. It requires a large amount of dedication, discipline and devotion. But most of all being an athlete at Southern means being a student first.
Student-athletes are required to give up many personal freedoms to be fully dedicated to their sport. They must juggle between practices, classes, studying and trying to find enough free time to collect their thoughts.
“One freedom lost is the abundance of free time,” said Korey Crumpe, a senior mass communications major and cross country runner. “It’s harder and more hectic to manage time compared to most students.”
 Athletes such as high jumper Michael McKinney, a senior secondary education major, found that managing time was harder for him because of the time conflicts that practicing had with his part-time job schedule.
“It was hard because I got out of practice at 5 p.m. and Wal-Mart closed at 9 p.m.”
Senior linebacker and criminal justice major Glynn Mangum, juggles football, track and field, studying and spending quality time with his family.
He also tries to maintain his relationships as well.
“Meetings get thrown in when you have plans and you have to explain to your people that it’s your job. But you chose to do this,” Mangum said.
Mangum does not fret over choices he has made.
“You can’t really worry about them. It’s a bandwagon,” he said. “While everyone’s out partying for homecoming, we’re in the room healing.”
According to senior volleyball player Tanisha McGill, the main thing that athletes worry about is the number of days of school that are missed. The secondary education major said that she misses so many classes that it is hard to “play catch up.”
“That’s if the teacher lets you,” said McGill.
Sophomore women’s soccer player Khrystina Pindle said that the perks included are why athletes play.
“Registration goes by real easy thanks to advisors, not to mention that it makes school more exciting,” said Pindle, a political science major from Heidelberg, Germany.
There may be many reasons why athletes choose to mix the pain of athletics with the strain of academia, but McKinney said that what he does is worth every moment.
“I love doing what I do. I’m in it for the positive, plus I love the mix of meeting new people from different places and learning new things. I just love what I do.”