Student athletes heading to the Paris Olympics this summer face a monumental task of training for their sport while completing college courses.
Universities will send dozens of students to the games, representing the U.S. and other countries, which requires coordination from coaches and exceptional dedication and time management skills from students in order to realize an athlete’s dream and, at the same time, obtain a diploma.
While student athletes may get some leniency from teachers, there is otherwise little special treatment for those going to the Olympics, coaches and hopefuls for the Paris games tell The Hill.
“It definitely adds a layer of complexity,” said Fred Richard, a rising third-year student at the University of Michigan who was in Minneapolis this week with hopes of qualifying for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team, when asked about the Juggling school and training.
“But I have a really strong support team around me, from my family to coaches to training staff to teammates to career management and social media production. So, together, we make everything happen in a very integrated way”, added Richard, who is majoring in administration.
Dozens of student athletes will head to Paris this summer to compete in sports ranging from swimming to rowing, with the games taking place from July 26th to August 11th. studies and others with brand new diplomas in hand.
“It was definitely not easy. It took a lot of time management, a lot of sleepless nights,” said Katelyn Abeln, who just graduated from Ohio State University and will compete with the women’s aerial and sport pistol team in Paris. for competitions and working with my teachers and classmates. It definitely wasn’t the easiest thing. But of course, making an Olympic team isn’t easy either, so I was pretty adamant about continuing my studies while making the Olympic team. I didn’t want to put anything on hold.”
At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said more than 1,000 of its past, current and future student athletes participated, representing more than 100 countries and winning about 282 medals. At the At the 2016 Rio Olympics, 1,018 current and former NCAA members competed, including 168 current students in 15 different sports.
Players sometimes have some leeway in their classes as teachers work around athletes’ schedules and when they may be absent from competitions, but it is not common practice for those aiming for the Olympics to get any special privileges beyond that.
“There really isn’t a huge difference between our offerings for our student athletes and those who are striving to be Olympians,” said Bill Dorenkott, director of men’s and women’s swimming and diving at Ohio State. “In our specific situation at Ohio State, we are fortunate to attract a lot of kids who want to represent their country, so we really created a program around these student athletes.”
Athletes differ widely in their training and practices, but their academic requirements remain largely the same.
“They have very specific practices where they do special exercises with a child because they demonstrate that they have the athletic ability to compete at the next level. Academically, there are the same requirements within the classroom,” said Lonnie Greene, director of cross-country and track and field at the University of Kentucky.
Once an athlete makes an Olympic team, coaches have the balancing act of helping them train, perform well in school, and coordinating with the national team.
“And when it comes to internationals, you need to have a good working relationship with your federation and so your local coach, your federation, our team, all have to work together to put the student-athlete in the best position possible. to have success. Some countries are friendlier than others when it comes to collaborative work. But we have established a very good reputation, nationally and internationally, for developing children,” Dorenkott said.
And the assistance doesn’t end at the confines of campus, with some coaches traveling to games with their athletes to support them on their journey.
Emil Milev, coach of the Ohio State pistol team, said he will go to Paris “to support them during all practices and matches.”
“I mean, it’s kind of stressful at the same time, but I really want them to be successful and do well. But everything is in their hands,” said Milev. “It’s a privilege and it will be kind of – for the first time to be as a coach on that stage and it will be very emotional, I know, no matter the result.”
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