Student-Athlete...or Athlete-Student?

When I first arrived at college freshman year, all of the school’s athletes were gathered in our sports complex for our “student-athlete” orientation day. We took pictures in our new school gear, and administrators lined up to discuss all of the university`s past athletic accomplishments. They informed us that we were “student-athletes” because we were first and foremost students, and that athletics, though undoubtedly important, would always take a back seat to our studies.....

.... Across the board, more Division I student-athletes said they self-identified highly as “athletes” than as “students,” a finding especially high among males.

   ...more

Bethany`s
Notes: As a former student athlete there was a always a challenge in balancing student with athlete. Both were important roles and I enjoyed my experiences. Do student-athlete feel they are athlete first? Depends on who you ask. Perhaps this question and potential answers will help with the high struggles in student athlete mental health.