At one point or another, you probably have interacted with student-athletes on campus. It is possible you have worked on a class project, or even been roommates with a student-athlete. Perhaps you wanted to become a student-athlete and therefore wondered what “a day in the life” looks like. A typical day of a student-athlete will vary based on the time of the year, day of the week, what sport they play, the program they study, and some other factors. While there are differences between how athletes go about their day, there is also considerable overlap between typical activities. Let’s take a look at a day in the life of a UNBC women’s basketball player and find out more about the emotional and physical aspects that a student-athlete goes through.
6:20 am – Time to wake up and shine
The alarm goes off, and my first thought is, “is it already the morning?”. Look at the clock; yes, it is 6:20 am. It is time to rush to morning practice. I roll out of bed, quickly go through my morning routine, get dressed and leave the house. At this point, not many thoughts go through my head, just trying to get ready as fast as possible. If you like to sleep as much as I do and you have an early morning practice, there is a high chance you might start skipping breakfasts (not the best idea).
6:35 am – The drive to the gym
As I got into my car, I realized how lucky I am to live just 10 minutes away from the gym. Listening to pump-up songs during that ride is essential as it really helps me wake up and get into the mood for practice.
7:00 am – Run, run, and run
It is a practice time. More specifically, it is time for conditioning practice. If you think that athletes like running and cardio workouts, you are wrong! Most athletes, unless they compete in track and field or cross-country running, hate running sprints. However, there is no other way to get in shape and prepare for the season. So as we often say: “suck it up and keep going!”
8:00 am – Feels good to be done
The first practice of the day is over, and I can take a breather. I like that feeling after a hard workout; you feel tired yet accomplished, and happy that it is over. However, I cannot relax for too long as I need to go home and get ready for my classes.
8:30 – 11:00 am – Home routine
I am so glad I can come home after morning practice instead of rushing to class like some of my teammates do. I have enough time to prepare a tasty breakfast and lunch, and get some readings done before classes.
11:30 am – 2:20 pm – Time to learn something new
Did I say I was lucky not to have a class at 8:30 am? I might change my mind on that. Having two classes back to back might be worse. The good news is my teammate is taking the same two courses. I think having a teammate or a friend in your classes helps you stay accountable. Hopefully, today I won’t feel sleepy during class and will learn many new things!
2:30-3:30 Lunch break
Yay! Classes are over, and I stayed awake for the whole time! Now, I can meet with my friends and have lunch. If my friends are busy, I will watch an episode of the Squid Games. I need to understand what the hype on social media is about. Oh, and I almost forgot, I need to get a coffee from Timmy’s to keep me going.
3:30-4:40 – Homework period
Got some extra time for homework today. Good thing it is not my turn to coach at the basketball camp today, so I can focus on writing an essay. I have only about an hour before I need to go back to the gym. Hopefully that cup of coffee will help me find my writing muse.
4:45 – 5:05 pm – Prepare for practice #2
It’s time to go to the practice! Probably the most exciting time of the day for me. It is so nice to have access to our team room again, unlike last year when we were unable to use it because of COVID. While it might sound like not a big deal for some people, a team room is like a second home for athletes.
5:05 – 7:30 pm – Practice time!
Before team practice starts, I like to spend 20-30 minutes working on my skills. Then it is time to get better as a team; we work on our team’s defence and offence. Practice is fun and challenging at the same time!
7:30-8:30 – Post practice relaxation
That was a good training session! I feel proud of my team, everyone worked super hard today, and we accomplished many things! Now it’s time to go home to take a shower and eat dinner with my roommates (if they waited for me).
8:30-10:30 – Evening studying session
Oh, here we go again, it is time to do homework. I am so tired. Should I just go to bed? No, I can’t. I need to power through this. Or maybe I should go to bed? No, get it together and start studying! I always wonder why it is extra hard to make myself study after evening practice.
10:30 pm – Getting ready for bed
Is it already 10:30?! Wow, time flies. I finished what I planned, which is a small win. Now I can get ready for sleep with peace of mind. I just need to brush my teeth and pack my backpack for tomorrow.
11:00 pm – Go to sleep!
Alright, I am ready to go to sleep! It feels good to lay in bed after such a long day. I need to get good quality sleep so I am energized in the morning! See you all tomorrow!
