City College student athletes have demanding schedules requiring time management. According to Athletic Director LaDeane Hansten, there are up to 400 student athletes at City College. While balancing classes with practices, some of these student athletes have put a cherry on top of their already busy schedule and work part time jobs.
Sarah Hardin is a City College student athlete on the women’s soccer team. She also works a part time job at La Cumbre Country Club as a busser. This is her second year as a working student athlete and has mastered her time management in order to maintain a balanced lifestyle.
“I work 15 hours a week,” Hardin said. “I also babysit for three hours every Monday night.”
Hardin attends class and practice while also working 18 hours a week. She has no days off, every weekday and weekend is filled with school, homework, practice, games, or shifts.
“This was my schedule yesterday. I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to study for my exam, took my exam from 8 a.m to 9:25 a.m. then I had a lab from 9:40 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.,” Hardin said. “But practice starts at 2 p.m. so I always have to leave early. I practiced 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. then showered and went to work from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.”
She acknowledges her long days and reminds herself she is lucky to have these opportunities and to work hard. “I have long days but it’s ok. I learned to prioritize eating well and sleeping enough,” Hardin said.
Hardin gets along with her coworkers and teammates making it easier for her to keep a positive attitude even when things get overwhelming.
Aly Springer is also a City College athlete on the women’s soccer team. She works at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racket Club at Field Side Grill in Carpinteria. Springer works around 18 hours a week as a server.
She embraces this busy time in her life and is grateful for the experience. “Knowing I’m spending my time the best way I can makes it all come full circle at the end of the day,” she said.
Springer has found helpful ways to make her schedule a little easier on her; she likes to get her homework done early and be a few steps ahead so she can enjoy her weekends and any free time she has.
She knows how important it is to spend time socializing and doesn’t neglect that part of her life even with school, soccer, and work going on.
“I try to get all my homework done during the week so I have Saturday’s to go out or even just watch the sunset with friends,” Springer said.
Joseph Olsson is a City College athlete on the football team. He works security at Backstage, a night club located in downtown Santa Barbara. Olsson works around 20 hours a week, normally working from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“Since I work those hours, I learned to prioritize my sleep,” he said.
Although Olsson has a taxing schedule he finds joy in the chaos and enjoys meeting new people through work, school, and football.
“I’m working and learning a lot,” he said. “I get to meet a lot of different personalities and people who teach me a lot.” He knows these new experiences and new people in this time of his life will teach him a lot. Olsson’s mindset helps him get through his demanding schedule and dedicates his strong mentality to football.
Student athletes need to maintain a 2.0 GPA in order to participate in their sports program. This means they need to earn a grade of C or better in all of their classes. Per week, they practice around 10 hours and spend 5 to 12 hours at games and traveling.
Some may argue that being a student athlete is a full time job by itself.
