Nov. 28, 2005

"It has been my experience that student athletes live in two different worlds, one as a student and the other as an athlete. I wonder if people realize the sacrifi ces and the effort that go into our daily lives. Often there is the misconception of student-athletes being intellectually uninspired when in actuality student-athletes work around the clock in order to be the best students and the best athletes they can possibly be. We are over the top perfectionists. We work hard not only for ourselves but for the university, the NCAA, and the fans. In our "off season" we start our week off on Monday at 7 AM with one -hour sprinting drills. We do this every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Then we hurry off to class from 9 to noon or 1 each day. Many of us grab lunch at the gym, and practice for the next three hours. There is also an hour of conditioning before each gymnastics practice. On Tuesday and Thursday we have the same schedule but without running in the morning. Wednesdays we have no afternoon practice.

"After an exhausting day of school, running, conditioning, and gymnastics, we go home to cook dinner, do laundry, clean the apartment and study. According to NCAA rules we are not allowed to work out more than twenty hours per week. However, this does not include rehab for injuries, team meetings, team functions and dinners, extra conditioning, travel, public appearances, sports psychology, if needed, and for freshmen, study hall hours.

"The reason most of us are here is because we want to excel in academics, and graduate with a degree we can be proud of. We want to graduate knowing we gave it our all, and pushed ourselves to be the best student and athlete we could be. We are excellent athletes because we know how to work, and what it takes to achieve success. However, being a great athlete is just a bonus in life. It is not what gets us to the next chapter in life. But being a great athlete means being diligent. Unlike most students, we have to watch our weight. Eating foods that fuel our body in order to keep us in tip top shape is very important. We cannot eat foods like pizza. If we are running late to class, we cannot just drive through McDonalds on the way. Keeping up with school, workouts, and eating habits can become wearing.

"Every student-athlete runs out of gas from time to time. But the tough times are what make us stronger people, students, and athletes. There have been times I wanted to just quit it all. But in my heart I would not be happy doing that. Athletics gets a hold of you, and it just will not let you go. Athletics becomes you; it almost starts to defi ne you. We are student-athletes, and we will not quit until we have reached our goals, athletically and scholastically.

"Being a student-athlete is not easy. I have had days where I am so exhausted I can barely walk. The last thing I want to do is open a book but I do it anyway. I want to look back on my years at UGA and feel proud. I hope I can influence someone's life and make them realize you can do anything you put your mind to. It has not been the easiest road I have traveled but it has been worth it and I have enjoyed it."

--Brittany Smith

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