“Don’t drink to feel better, drink to feel even better” would be the quote that not only jeopardized my division one soccer scholarship but was also the reason I puked myself into oblivion as a freshman at my last spring practice. The quote was posted in the info section of my Facebook, when at the time I was not allowed to have any form of social media (hence the puking part due to punishment runs for violating rules).
My coach didn’t want to lose his job because his athletes were posting dumb videos or pictures that contained evidence of underage drinking. Understandable. As a coach, he didn’t want to hear, see, or even know that we were partying. Yet, let’s be real, every coach knows what a student-athlete is doing on a Friday or Saturday night. But for those of you NARPS (non-athletic-regular-person) who believe us college athletes don’t party as much as you… You, my friend, have completely lost your mind. Who do you think coined the saying “Work Hard, Play Harder.”?
College athletes are put under a microscope and shunned for doing things any regular college student does on a daily basis. But why? When I signed my letter of intent I didn’t sign it to be a role model, I didn’t sign it to be the face of the university and I certainly didn’t sign it to guarantee I would never drink certain liquids, smoke certain substances or ignore girls. Don’t get me wrong, I am not condoning any of these actions or implying all athletes do these things. I’m just trying to point out that if an athlete gets arrested it’s the front page of the school paper while a regular frat daddy probably gets high-fived by his whole pledge class.
In reality, college athletes are the faces of a university and have to be cautious of what they say and do in the public eye. Due to constantly filtering every tweet and Instagram picture, outsiders might forget that we are just like everyone else, or at least want to be. We want to portray that “F it” mentality so many college students have, but we have to do so by cautiously being aware that everything we do is blown up and there could be a consequence.
College is about finding yourself, having fun and blacking out along the way. But when you have games twice a weekend, 6 a.m. practices, and fitness tests, it makes it very hard to find time to do the normal blacking out that NARPs get to so often. So I, and my fellow athletes, have to take advantage of the days we are given to live that normal college life.
I’m not saying to feel sorry for us student-athletes, the last thing we need is your pity. We chose this lifestyle. All I’m saying is that next time you see me chugging an $80 bottle of Grey Goose, join me; don’t judge me. When people tell you I’m crazy, it means I like to have a good time because that is what college is about-for athletes too.
