Should you play a sport in college, or will this detract from your academic success? Many high school athletes wonder if they have time to be involved in sports in college. The answer is yes, and there are college athletics options to fit every schedule.

At Gustavus Adolphus College, we offer exciting athletic opportunities at every commitment level. For student-athletes in intercollegiate sports, our advisors work with coaches and faculty to ensure you can play the sport you love with plenty of time for academics and other extracurriculars. College is a key time to follow your curiosity and explore your passions, and a well-rounded college experience better prepares you for professional work or graduate school. Flexible major requirements, careful class scheduling, proactive advising, and excellent student support services enable Gustavus students to do it all.

How can you build a healthy balance between academic studies and athletic participation? Keep reading for answers to common questions about integrating sports into college life.

What's the time commitment for college sports? 

The time commitments for college sports vary substantially depending on several factors, including the type of sport you play and, in the case of intercollegiate sports, the NCAA division your school occupies. Colleges and universities typically offer athletic participation options at four different levels:

• Intercollegiate sports are what most of us envision when we think of college sports. This is typically the most competitive sports level, with competitions between colleges and seasons ending in tournaments or playoffs. Intercollegiate sports usually demand the highest time commitment from student-athletes, with NCAA Division I teams at the high end of that commitment. Division III schools such as Gustavus require somewhat less time from athletes, making it easier for students to strike a balance between athletics and academics.

• Intramural sports feature games or matches between teams from the same college. Intramurals provide students with an opportunity for regular exercise, community, and fun, with much less pressure and time commitment than intercollegiate sports. Intramurals often offer offbeat sports options such as badminton and pickleball along with mainstays like basketball, volleyball, and softball.

• Club sports feature intercollegiate competitions but are not overseen by the NCAA. College sports clubs are organized and run by students, and club sports range from casual to highly competitive, depending on the context. Like intramurals, they generally offer options not available in standard intercollegiate sports. For instance, at Gustavus, club sports include rugby, lacrosse, and equestrian teams.

• Recreational sports encompass a wide range of physical activities intended to promote fitness and leisure. Recreational sports are casual, open to all skill levels, and focus on enjoyment versus competition. They might include yoga, hiking, cross-country skiing, or casual team activities, and many have a social component to encourage campus community. Recreational sports can consist of one-time events or a series of meetups, but the commitment level is minimal.

With all these options, there's a sport that fits your college lifestyle and the amount of time you feel comfortable committing to athletics. According to the NCAA, student-athletes playing intercollegiate sports at a Division III school such as Gustavus typically spend an average of 28 hours per week on training, competition, and related activities during the season. This is the high end of sports commitments, and you have options all the way down to low and no-commitment athletic involvement.

How do I know what kind of commitment I'm making?

Start early if possible and explore the different athletic offerings at your prospective college(s). Contact the coach or student club coordinator to find out total weekly participation time. Ask questions to see if the personality of the team or group sounds like a good fit for you. For instance, where does the team attitude lie on the spectrum of competitive to casual? This can vary a lot from school to school and even sport to sport, especially for club sports.

At Gustavus, students have dozens of options spanning all four levels of college athletics. From NCAA Division III basketball, to Nordic ski club, to intramural soccer, to beginner fitness workshops, it's easy to get involved in physical activities that fit your personality, priorities, and schedule. Choose the sport you loved in high school, or follow your curiosity to something new. Whatever path you choose, your faculty advisor works with you closely to create a semester-by-semester plan that keeps you involved without being overwhelmed.

What if practices conflict with class times?

Besides the time commitment involved in your chosen sport(s), you might wonder whether it constrains the range of classes you can take. What if the class you want or need conflicts with the training schedule? In some cases working around a practice schedule might not be a big deal, but other times you might have to sacrifice an elective you're excited about. Or, you might face a choice between your sports commitment and a required class that throws off your four-year schedule if you delay it.

As with overall time commitments, check in early about how your school handles potential conflicts with athletics and academics. For instance, at Gustavus we address this problem by not scheduling any classes in the afternoon time slot reserved for varsity sports practices. That way our student-athletes don't have to choose between an important class and playing the sport they love. 

How do I balance academics and athletics? 

You've established the approximate time commitments involved in the intercollegiate, club, or intramural sports you're interested in. You've checked with an advisor about class conflicts and workarounds and selected a sport that makes sense for you. What other strategies can you use to help your academic and athletic pursuits complement each other instead of competing for your attention?

1. Work closely with your advisor to schedule strategically.

What are the weekly season and off-season time commitments of your sport or athletic activity? What other extracurriculars are most important to you? Seek out relevant information on each activity and list everything you hope to do this semester or year. Bring this to your advisor and talk through priorities as you schedule classes. If you have a lot of extracurriculars that are all important to you, does it make sense to take a slightly lighter class load and do a summer class? Can you weight your classes to have a heavier load during the off-season? When is the best time to study away or do an internship? Don't be afraid to ask your advisor to walk through this with you in detail — that's their job! Careful planning up front prevents overwhelm down the road.

2. Maintain a bird's-eye view of the school year.

As you create your tentative schedule, use an electronic or paper planner with multiple viewing levels (days, weeks, months) or a monthly desk calendar with enough room to write in each day's scheduled activities. Fill in your entire schedule: classes, practices and games, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, meal times, and time to sleep. What's left over? How much time do you have for homework? Can you reserve a full day or most of a day where you don't have any obligations, for rest and social time outside of scheduled activities? 

To go deeper into the visual organization, gather your class syllabi and your athletic schedule. Add key events to your planner or calendar such as competitions, project due dates, and big tests. Highlight these in different colors so you can see where there are extra demands outside your daily and weekly rhythm. This way you can glance at the week or month and quickly see where you might need to work in advance to stay on top of things.

3. Take lots of notes so you can make good adjustments.

Having your semester schedule laid out in advance helps you stay realistic about how much time you're spending on each activity. To make this time management tool even more effective, take regular brief notes in your planner about your feelings and experiences. At the end of the semester, review the past and see what you can learn. If your whole semester was overwhelming, what changes might have brought it to a reasonable level? If it was a pretty good balance, how can you approximate that as you plan a new semester with different classes and perhaps different co-curricular requirements? If midterms or finals were particularly stressful, how can you spread out the workload better next semester?

4. Get help early and take advantage of all your resources.

Good record keeping upfront plus a few minutes a day taking notes goes a long way toward staying on top of things. Also, don't wait until the end of the semester to make needed changes. If you feel overwhelmed, that's normal! College is a big adjustment and it takes a minute to find what works for you. Keep the communication lines open with your advisor, coach, and teachers. Get familiar with your school's resources proactively so you know where to go for different kinds of support. As soon as you start to struggle with a class, practice, project, or any activity, reach out and ask for help.

At Gustavus, we support students holistically through a host of avenues that address academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being. Faculty mentors and peer tutors offer individual academic support, while counselors and chaplains are available to talk confidentially one-on-one for moral support and practical strategies. Other resources include your coach, alumni mentor, advisors, student organizations, and programs and workshops that target specific student needs. Whatever's slowing you down or tripping you up, even if you haven't identified exactly what it is, the important thing is to reach out and find help.

Academics and athletics at Gustavus

At Gustavus, we actively support student-athletes to get more out of college. Our coaches, faculty, program coordinators, and other administrators don't expect you to treat their class or program as the most important. Instead, they work together to find resolutions to scheduling conflicts so each student can follow multiple interests and passions and make the most of their college years. With sports-friendly class scheduling and flexible academic requirements, over a quarter of Gustavus students play varsity sports without sacrificing academic achievements or other extracurricular opportunities. With dozens of NCAA, club, and intramural sports, there's a team at Gustavus that's right for you.