Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2002)
3A Monday, April 29, 2002 11 scieni C : Aguirre, h s he hasb® e cai ■eland isn t week r > andac(t n Twelftli \ i the I - was 1 •he screen n w ith eras said. University, i: ■retakers of it: committed^ esumeherM t football mS are lookir. eille retar 1 and standif. ' Twelftli : of Ageie Aguirre sc mily frier: i rs in the ; -|f cas and eceised tkl Hawkin> - " g three es:,':- rin. Josept:, Uurph) Jr. mider chars; l h escapee,! lined suiak! red when?. ; I 1 author: utamonthnfj in this agtioa [ said the'? d not chan: ss of the cic AggielAfe e ride of a lifetime Student athletes tell the ups and downs of their time atA&M ue liction I Story by Brian Ruff Photos by Guy Rogers ve, I r cover acup« Castillo i Chief jatt.cOT 1055-4725) trough Fn® nesteis ^ I Finding a parking spot at the Student Recreation Center is never a problem for junior motor development major Chris Nelan. In, fact, he can just about pick whichever one he wants. No, Nelan is not a ^Barking fanatic, he just happens to be there Tvhen the lot is empty. Nelan is a student athlete, reporting to his 6 a.m. practice. Nelan is a junior freestyle swimmer on |the Texas A&M swimming and diving team, and like many other varsity athletes, his day starts when the sun and most A&M tudents are not up yet. Nelan and other athletes face other draw- acks besides early morning workouts. “The time management part of being an athlete is probably the toughest,” Nelan aid. “You spend most of your time in lass and with workouts; when you get ome, you don’t feel like studying.” However, Nelan said learning to man- fage your time can be a substantial asset for [the future. After his hour and a half morning work- oat, Nelan heads to class and then to another practice in the afternoon. Nelan’s schedule may not seem hectic compared to senior Bethel Johnson’s schedule. Johnson takes part in two sports: football and track. Johnson, who plays wide receiver on ■the A&M football team and runs on the 4X i 100-meter relay team during the spring, ■ said he used to tell the other track athletes Ihow easy their workouts were. Johnson ■has since had a change of opinion. “It’s not easy,” Johnson said. “You have |to do two workouts, and usually you get no I break at all.” Nelan said one of the benefits of being |an athlete at A&M is that you have a group |°f friends your freshman year, and with the ■ travel and workouts,'these friends become your second family. Many students find jobs to help ease the financial burden of college. According to Athletic Department Compliance Monitoring Coordinator Wispeny Floyd, student athletes are not allowed to make more than $2,000 over the amount of a full academic scholarship in an academic year. The athletic compliance office keeps track of who pays the athletes’ expenses: car payments, rent and other living expenses. Floyd also said the NCAA does not allow freshmen on scholarship to be employed. “We want freshmen to get used to their schedule, classes and course work.” Floyd said. “They need to fit in as a student before taking on other responsibilities.” You spend most of your time in class and with workouts; when you get home y you don t feel like studying. — Chris Nelan junior freestyle swimmer Athletes are also not allowed to give paid private lessons, but Floyd said the athletes can get paid to give lessons in other sports. The Athletic Department performs a random drug test on athletes once a week. The NCAA and the Big 12 Conference also perform drug tests on athletes at random. According to NCAA regulations, if the NCAA finds an athlete in violation of the drug policy, the athlete is not eligible to participate in regular season or postseason competition for one year. If found in viola tion a second time, the athlete loses all remaining eligibility. Travel schedules for athletes also can make classes difficult, Nelan said. “Most profs give different tests for makeup exams. Instead of taking a multiple choice test, you may have to take an essay test,” Nelan said. “Most of them do a good job and understand, but you do get some that think you require special treatment.” All collegiate athletes, including those who are not on scholarship, must abide by the regulations of the NCAA. Sophomore business administration major Ashley Jabbal, despite being a non scholarship athlete, must make it to 6:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. practices each day. “Sometimes I wake up, and it’s hard to keep going,” Jabbal said. “T tell myself in the morning that nobody is giving me any money to be here, but I get up and do it.” Jabbal, who runs cross-country and is on the track team, turned down scholarship opportunities at other schools so she could go to A&M as a walk-on her freshman year. “My freshman year was pretty diffi cult,” Jabbal added. “It was tough coming from high school were there are some great runners, and then coming here where every runner is a great runner, and they are really into it.” Jabbal, who takes 15 hours a semester, said being a non-scholarship athlete has its benefits. “It takes some of the pressure off,” Jabbal said. “If I don’t perform well, the only person I really let down is myself.” Despite the drawbacks of being an ath lete at Texas A&M, Nelan said that you meet people who can help you out in the future. “The networking here is really great,” Nelan said. “You get to meet people in charge. You make some really great con nections. It really helps you when you get out there.” THE BATTALION Clockwise from top left: Freestyle swimmer Chris Nelan takes a break during an afternoon workout at the Student Recreation Center. Nelan cuts through the water during his 6 a.m swim practice. Wide receiver Bethel Johnson makes a cut against McNeese State in 2001. Nelan pushes a 45-lb. weight during his workout at the Netum Steed Research & Conditioning Labratory. Nelan adjusts his goggles during practice at the Rec Center Natatorium. Johnson works out on the bench press at Steed. Johnson checks his workout sheet during his workout at Steed.