Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
With the new school year starting at Winthrop University, most returning students in our athletics field come back to Winthrop with a special honor.
According to Winthrop Athletics, over seventy percent of student athletes in 2018–19 academic year became eligible to earn the status of Presidential Honor Roll. The requirement for a student athlete to attain the Presidential Honor Roll is maintaining a 3.0 GPA or better for the academic year. Winthrop Softball athlete and senior sports management major Tori Walker commented on receiving a spot on the Honor Roll and the hard work she put in from last year.
“Honestly, I feel very proud of myself for receiving this award. School has never been something that came easy to me, so for me to be able to balance school, softball and a social life and be able to excel in all those areas really makes me proud of myself,” Walker said.
Winthrop University is one of four universities in the Big South Conference to have seventy percent of student athletes who were eligible for the Honor Roll. Women’s Soccer player and junior psychology major Megan Loveland was proud that Winthrop was able to be part of this second largest percentage in the conference’s history.
“I think it’s great that Winthrop was awarded this honor because it shows how dedicated our student athletes are. It is not always easy to manage the demands of school while being in season,” Loveland said.
One of the challenges today, not only as students, but as student athletes, is keeping up to date with classes, with other commitments such as being part of a club and participating in sports. Scholarships allow athletes to work harder to reach higher goals and benefit in the future.
“Scholarships are not just handed out, they are earned, so I believe this makes athletes more driven to succeed,” Walker said.
Some ways that student athletes become eligible for the Honor Roll is through developing time management skills that help balance their work.
“I definitely prioritize getting my schoolwork done if I am not at practice or games. Making a schedule and planning ahead helps a lot with time management,” Loveland said.
Finding ways to balance your athletics and academics is a great way to cope with stress from one side and strive to find compromises with others.
“I think it is important because first of all, you have to have good grades to play, and second of all, yes we are here to play a sport but the main goal is to get a degree. My sport is definitely helping me get through college but once it is over, what really is going to get me through the rest of my life is that degree I earn. That is why it is so important athletes really focus on their schoolwork just as much as their sport,” Walker said.
As the new school year begins, returning student athletes are planning to recommit to their respective sports and find new ways to work hard in their classes.
“My biggest goal this season is to do everything I can to help my team be successful. I am a firm believer that hard work pays off … and that starts in the classroom,” Loveland said.
