Joshua Mabry, Campus Carrier Sports Editor

There are some people who believe that because someone is a student athlete, they might not be as smart as other students. This is a major misconception surrounding student athletes.

I often hear people say demeaning comments like this about college athletes and these comments could not be further from the truth.

These misconceptions really bother me because I have family and friends who either played a sport in college or currently play a sport.

Athletes know how to manage their time much better than most students, which often leads to more success in the classroom.

This fact is especially true for college student athletes. They go to class, practice, play in games, work, participate in other extracurricular activities, do homework and still manage to make time for friends. They have no choice but to maintain a balanced schedule, which will serve them well later in life.

While it can be said that anyone who participates in any extracurricular activity knows how to manage their time better, it can often be more challenging for athletes with their demanding practice, game and travel schedules. Most students who participate in extracurricular activities participate in those activities on campus.

An article published by Laura Chmiel on Next College Student Athlete exemplifies the points listed above about student athletes.

In her article, Chmiel said that once students graduate and are in the workplace, they will have to be able to determine which aspects of their work need to be completed first. This means that they will have to create a balanced schedule.

She also said that when students get a job, they cannot disappear when pressure becomes present. She compared this to baseball when the home team is losing by only one run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The team is obviously pressured in that case, but they cannot let the pressure get the best of them, much like employees cannot let the pressure get to them.

She said that student athletes do not struggle with any of this because they are accustomed to pressure and demands of having such a balanced schedule. Chmiel went as far as to say that student athletes make the best employees.

In addition, to place an entire group of people into a single category is absurd. Saying that all athletes are not as smart as other students is like saying that all people who drive trucks are not as smart as people who drive cars. It simply does not make sense.

The misconception that student athletes are marginal students should be reconsidered because this is not true. Student athletes work very hard at their sports and in school. They deserve respect for this.