Student-Athletes dedicate time to work, school, practice and athletic events. This does not leave much time for relaxing with friends or family.

Do not forget that practices and games or meets come with showing up early for stretching, athletic training treatment, preparing for practice and sometimes icing or rehabbing afterwards.

Student-athletes under a 3.0 GPA have five required hours of study hall per week.

NCAA rules allow coaches to take up 20 hours a week of their players’ time. However, an NCAA survey documented by USA Today from 2011 shows that Division I football players dedicate about 43 hours a week to the sport during the season.

In the 2011 survey released during the NCAA’s annual convention, the association asked players to count both required and voluntary activities.

Football players said they spent an average of 43.3 hours on their sport from playing games, practicing, training and in the training room compared to 38 hours on academics.

Division I baseball players spent a little more than 42 hours on their sport and a little less than 32 on academics. In men’s basketball, it was slightly more than 39 hours on their sport and 37-plus hours on academics.

Women’s basketball spent a little less time. They said they spent more than 37½ hours a week on their game and almost 39 hours on schoolwork.

At a Shocker prospect baseball camp in July, WSU baseball Head Coach Todd Butler told the campers, “I want to coach men, not boys. Men work hard on the field then go to class and study out of class.”

This is the plan and the course for his players, Butler said. This plan can be challenging for young student-athletes and it takes dedication and the right mindset to accomplish.

Former Shocker basketball player Rob Kampman remembers how challenging it was to balance so many responsibilities.

“It’s tough,” Kampman said. “A lot of people say and make comments about a scholarship and being able to work outside of basketball and all this stuff. You don’t have enough time.”

Kampman lifted six days a week for an hour or two a day, went to class for a minimum of an hour to six hours a day, practiced for two hours a day during the season, studied film for an hour and participated in study hall if he was struggling with classes.

“You have to eat and rest in that time too, because you can’t keep doing the grind of the whole season,” Kampman said. “Then throw in some trips for away games and road trips and bring your books into that. I’m not saying it wasn’t fun because it was, but it’s hard work and it takes discipline.”

He said he would not change that experience for anything, but reiterated that it takes a lot of hard work.

Grant Ralston, a Wichita State University senior track sprinter and long jumper, says he practices three hours a day, five days a week. He has a track meet almost every weekend the whole spring semester, and he devotes around 20 hours a week of his own time training during the season.

All of this with 13 credit hours of class and at least 15 hours going to homework a week.

He also maintains a job as a medical scribe in the off-season and participates as a “Big Brother” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

“Commiting 100 percent to both academics and athletics is very challenging, but it can be done with the right mindset and goals,” Ralston said. “You have to have your priorities straight and plan out your week.”

So many hours go into being a student-athlete, he also struggles to find time for friends and family.

“I will maybe meet them for lunch or dinner, but there is not much time when I’m done with class, training room, practice and homework,” Ralston said.

Schedules can be demanding and if student-athletes want to be successful in the classroom and on the court or field, they need to know how to manage their time.