I remember watching the WCWS this year and being amazed time and time again by the defensive plays, the pitching performances, and the offensive power houses. Oklahoma University and UCLA battled head to head in the final game of the softball Women’s College World Series. 4-3 in the top of the 7th with two outs, OU down by 1, and Shay Knighten hits a homerun to tie it up and keep them in the game. UCLA battled back in the bottom of the 7th when Kinsley Washington hit a walk off base hit and pinch runner Jacqui Prober slid into home, missing the catcher’s tag by inches, awarding UCLA the championship for the first time since 2010.
However, something entirely different from these players’ skill levels also amazed me. It was a social media post after the game that read, “Under talked about topic in the WCWS: UCLA players are still in school and taking finals. During the most competitive and important games of their career they still have to be STUDENT-athletes”.
These players are away competing in the biggest and most exciting games of their careers all while still having to study and complete homework. According to the NCAA, “Nearly eight million students currently participate in high school athletics in the United States. More than 480,000 compete as NCAA athletes, and just a select few within each sport move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level.” That means of the eight million athletes, only 0.06% move on to play in college, and only a select few from that 0.06% move on to play professionally. Young athletes need to be taught to go after their dreams and strive to play professionally, but also to learn to be students first, athletes second. It is important for coaches and parents to teach young athletes that practice can teach you and prepare you for more than just the game. Sports can be a gateway into getting an education. Sports can prepare young athletes for the work world by teaching them time management skills, leadership skills, and self-confidence.
To all the young athletes out there: Never stop chasing your dreams, but remember student-athlete means that you are a student first and you cannot be an athlete if you are not dedicating the same amount of grit and effort to your studies first and foremost.
