Spring break should be sacred for all students, including athletes

The university experience is not a single activity that supplies the fulfillment that one should acquire while furthering their education. Rather, it is a compilation of experiences from all aspects of campus life that compose a unique time in most of our lives.

While the experience revolves around academics, there are so many other outlets that leave students wanting more should they miss out on pursuing all that ETSU has to offer.

I suspect this is at least one driving force behind reviving the football program, but the concern that I raise is not over the to-be-determined success of football, but whether or not sports in general are taking on too large a role in the university.

It should go without saying that you come to a university for an education, but even the most crucial work done while furthering your education must be balanced with leisure.

Yes, you should study for your exams, but you should also make time for yourself. Go out with friends, join some clubs, start an organization, and generally get involved in the community here. Most athletes on this campus accomplish this through their chosen sport.

They have come here for an education, but also to participate in collegiate competition. However, just as with any other aspect of your time at ETSU, or any other university, there is such a thing as too much.

I was in the process of finalizing plans for spring break when I came across a friend who accompanied me and several others to the beach last year. When I asked this individual if they would be joining us again this year, their reply was “no.”

Upon further inquiry, they simply cannot leave over spring break save for one or two days because their coach has scheduled mandatory practice over spring break. This strikes me as rather odd. I realize that you can choose whether or not to participate in sports, but the entire point of spring break, and every other break, is to give students time to recover so that they are ready to tackle the second half of the semester.

If the primary goal is to further your education, it seems this break would take priority over collegiate sports, but perhaps this is an unfair example.

Maybe these athletes enjoy the workout they will get over spring break and are fine with not being free to do something else. And then the priority that we give to sports rears its ugly head. Apparently, for the sport that this individual competes in, which will go unnamed, the team is scheduled to compete during finals week.

This is where the line should most certainly be drawn. How can you expect students to put forth the massive effort required to pass end of course exams AND participate in competitive athletics?
There simply is not enough time in the week to expect the student athlete to do both; one area is going to suffer while the other is given priority. And I will tell you which will be given priority, the one with a coach dictating your schedule.

Professors cannot prevent you from missing class because you have conflicts with sports, but sports programs can prevent you from participating and cause you to make the mistake of placing a higher value on collegiate sports than your educaton.