PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

MAXIMILIANO ACOSTA / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

  Trendy music playing in the back and strategically placed cameras in every clip makes the videos look scenic and effortless. With fast shutter clips of the creator’s day, makes their lives look extremely productive and almost too perfect. These aesthetically pleasing “Day in my life” videos have caught the attention  of  many  scrollers.  With athletes displaying themselves waking up at a ridiculous early time, and managing to always be busy, it begs the question  “What does the life of a student athlete in college actually look like?”

    Every sport is different and demands different degrees of work and time. The majority of student athletes at USD have practice at least once a day, sometimes twice. And on top of practice they have various other commitments throughout the day whether it’s weight training, meetings or class. 

    USD women’s rowing team captain and senior  Vivien Goretic is a part of the various teams at USD that have practice twice a  day.  Goretic described her day as tough, but also extremely rewarding. Even though rowing is a spring sport, the team has practices twice a day year-round and Monday through Saturday. 

   “ Monday through Wednesday I’m busy from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., it’s a really long day,” Goretic said. “I wake up at five, go to practice. [Practice] starts at 5:45 a.m., runs for three hours, and then I have breakfast in the car, change in the car. I have a class at 9:15 a.m., then we have cross training, which is another hour and a half of cardio at 12:30 p.m. Afterwards, I have class, have a little bit of a break, have class again, and then it’s 7:00 p.m. Then I’m done and I get to have SLP dinner and hang out with my friends.” 

   Days go by quickly for Goretic. She barely has a moment to rest, constantly moving from one commitment to the next. When she is not training or going to class, she looks forward to her naps on the weekends, and mentioned how the weekends are always a big reset for her and her team. 

    “We  get   Sunday  and  then  that’s our main day where we catch up on literally everything,” Goretic said. “Being a student-athlete requires a lot of discipline and organization skills. I always have all of my clothes laid out. I always have all of my meals planned. I meal prep on Sundays just so I don’t have to worry about these kinds of things and can just go from one thing to another throughout the day.” 

  Goretic explained how she thinks the reputation that comes with being a student-athlete can be negative sometimes. 

   “ I  think it  would be cool if people had an appreciation for the fact that, because athletes kind of have this reputation of athletes, they don’t really care about anything other than their sport  type  of thing,” Goretic said. “But there’s so much dedication and  passion  that flows into what we do that takes up so  much of  everything that it’s such a vital part of your identity and then that’s why when you show up a little late to class or something  like that, it’s probably not ‘cause you don’t care. It’s most definitely because you were just running from practice  and are bound to be late.” 

      While  there can be a lot of stress at times, Goretic highlights how being an athlete means you have a built-in support network and being a part of a team and having other people to lean on going through the same experiences makes it all more manageable. 

  “ Being an athlete here, you have not only your team and your coaches, but you have a whole system of people that are there to support you and guide you through your college years,” Goretic said. “Studying becomes a  social   experience   and grabbing one of my friends and going to a coffee shop downtown and  then  making  a day out of that and  combining good hours of studying  with  something  fun.” 

    USD senior and defender for the men’s soccer team Ethan Warne had similar thoughts to Goretic about the stress of being a student athlete. Warne commented on how he wished other students knew how tiring it can be to maintain all the obligations that come with the title. 

   “Probably how demanding it really can be, not just the early morning practices and games but the travel, film, recovery, meetings  and constant pressure to both perform academically and athletically,” Warne said. “Having to balance everything on top of a social life can get really straining on you. But it’s definitely all a privilege.” 

  On the other hand, USD first-year guard of the men’s basketball team Boden Grant argues that his schedule is quite manageable, and says that being an athlete depends a lot on your time management. 

     “My typical day starts at 8 a.m. with Spanish and I have class till 12 p.m.,” Grant said. “But that’s only a few times a week which is great. Then I head to the practice facility around 1 p.m. to warm up for lifts and practice starting at 2:30 p.m. After practice, we’ll get food usually at the SLP to end the day. On off days, we’ll usually get in the gym to shoot or get some extra work in.” 

    Basketball training requires full intensity and active recovery. It is typical for an athlete competing in Grant’s sport to constantly feel sore. According to a study by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, for every 1,000 hours of basketball played, athletes can expect anywhere from six to fourteen injuries. 

 Grant expressed that the support from basketball staff and his teammates allow him to balance his social, academic and sports life.  

    “I choose my academics and basketball over my social life, but for me, being around my teammates all the time creates a good bond on and off the court, which is a great social life to have,” Grant said. “ I prioritize my academics just as much as basketball, which is important to keep a good balance on and off the court.” 

      Athletes   like  Grant and Goretic show that even with the  hectic schedule that they have, they are still able to prioritize certain parts of  their identity efficiently — making their schedules easier for them to handle.

  Not every student athlete’s schedule follows the same rhythm. USD senior and softball player Taylor Johnson shared what her average day looks like.

   “A typical day starts around 6 a.m. with lift at 7, then I either head straight to practice or go to class,” Johnson said. “Between classes, I’m trying to find time to eat, do homework, study and still have a little time for myself. It’s a busy schedule, but I’ve learned how to stay organized and make it all work.”

  Johnson explained that she balances classes, studying, practices and games by being organized and having her next steps always planned out. 

    “I’ve become really good at time management and organization—knowing what I have going on, where I need to be, and when,” Johnson said. “I try to be efficient with my free time to maximize getting as much work done as I can and focus on being productive with my time.”

  Finding time to recharge looks different for every athlete. Johnson’s approach to self-care showed that being a student athlete isn’t just about physical endurance, it’s about mental reset too.

    “In my downtime, I like to do things that make me happy, like hanging  out  with friends, baking or  cooking, or  going  to  the beach to watch the sunset whenever I can,” Johnson said. “It’s a great way to reset. Recovery is something I focus on daily by prioritizing    what  I put  in  my body, stretching and always listening to myself and what I need.”

Balancing recovery with the demands of competition is all a part of the experience for USD student athletes. Johnson expressed what she wishes more people would understand about being a student-athlete. 

  “Being a student-athlete is definitely a grind,” Johnson said. “It takes a lot of time, focus and sacrifice, but it’s worth every second. You learn so many valuable skills along the way, like time management, teamwork,  resilience  and  how to  perform  under  pressure. Most  people  don’t see the mental side of it, or how much balance it takes to juggle school, sports and life, but there’s also a lot of fun, laughter and memories in the process. It’s challenging, but it teaches lessons that stick with you for life.”

   While Torero’s have an inside look at student  athletes’ schedules and perspectives,  it doesn’t mean that all of them are the same. USD athletes are constantly     juggling    life,   between sports and academics and their commitment to both does not go unnoticed by their peers.

Goretic and her team in Boston for The Head of the Charles Regatta.  Photo courtesy of  @usdwrowing/Instagram