Now that the end of the semester is here, finals have added more weight to students’ shoulders campus wide, but that doesn’t mean student-athletes are allowed to forget about their sports.
For both men’s and women’s basketball teams, finals fall midseason. Women’s basketball coach Susan Decker said her team usually devotes 15 to 20 hours each week to basketball, but she cuts the number down to anywhere from six to eight hours during finals week.
“During finals week we don’t play as many games,” Decker said. “If we do practice, it’s shorter.”
Decker said the Heart of America Athletic Conference usually avoids scheduling games during finals week, but the team had a game Tuesday and will play another Saturday, both of which are conference games. She said she doesn’t like playing conference games during finals week because both are so important.
Basketball player Kendra Schaefer said she is enrolled in 18 credit hours. She said even though the HAAC avoids scheduling games during mid-December, Baker University’s finals start a week earlier than everyone else’s.
“(Decker) makes practices shorter to allow more time for studying since education comes first,” Schaefer said.
Softball player Stephanie Allen said even though the team is in its offseason, players are still required to condition six to eight hours each week. She said head coach Jennifer Rigdon changes the team’s workout during finals to allow more time for studying.
“Coach really wants us to keep our grades up because she knows that’s why we’re here,” Allen said.
Men’s basketball coach Rick Weaver said his team puts in one or two hours of practice time each day in addition to the time spent at games, which varies depending on travel. He said he also cuts back practice hours during finals. A game scheduled for Thursday was moved to Tuesday because of Baker’s finals schedule.
Basketball player Chris Woolery said the team only has one game after finals start, and balancing both sports and academics isn’t as hard as some people think, even during stressful times such as finals week.
Woolery said coaches understand the importance of academics.
“The coaches make sure we put school before basketball,” Woolery said. “They make sure we realize that we’re students over an athlete.”
Both teams have to maintain above a 2.0 grade-point average, but coaches prefer better academic performances from players. Weaver said he has a strong academic team and hopes to have at least five National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics academic all-America teammates. To qualify, a player must have at least junior status and above a 3.5 GPA.
“You try to recruit solid student-athletes, and we’re lucky to have such a good group of students,” Weaver said.
Weaver said the student must be responsible for taking care of academics and balancing other activities. He said one great thing about Baker is that it encourages students to participate in different activities, but academics always take first priority.
“At a place like Baker, if you’re not a serious student, in the long run it’s going to be difficult,” Weaver said.
Decker said she encourages her team to have good time management and to take advantage of free time. She requires a team study hall each week. Those looking for extra help can ask a teammate to tutor them during this time.
“It helps them concentrate and recognize the importance of their GPA individually and as a team,” Decker said.
Schaefer said the study hours are usually Tuesday and Wednesday for about one and a half hours. She said each player usually does her own thing, and the hours help her focus on academics without distraction.
“I don’t procrastinate, and I get stuff done,” Schaefer said. “It actually makes me do my homework.”
Woolery said his involvement in basketball gives him an incentive not to procrastinate and slack off. He’s learned to use his spare time wisely and to make time for important things.
Allen said her encouragement is she knows if she doesn’t keep her grades up, she can’t play, and she really wants to play. She said she also recognizes school is the most important thing and goes straight from softball to studying.
“I have that work ethic where I have to get my work done before I do anything else,” Allen said.
Schaefer said she stays in the library late each night doing schoolwork on a regular basis, but has accepted that is one of the many sacrifices of having such a hard schedule and playing a sport .