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Student athletes tell the ups and downs of their time atA&M
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Story by Brian Ruff
Photos by Guy Rogers
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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.