Athleticism does not always correlate with an academic major in sports. Both head women’s basketball coach Katie Fonseca and head women’s softball coach Kerry Crum acknowledged that their teams were composed of individuals with a diverse set of majors. Overall, athletes still retain skills from the sports they participate in that carry over into their academic careers, and having a team with a variety of career goals impacts the group in a positive way.
Crum believes that playing a sport displays a student’s ability to balance and prioritize. “There’s a huge amount of commitment when you have both classes and a sport to worry about. You also gain the opportunity to develop discipline and teamwork skills,” he added. His philosophy is that a student in any major can gain life experience from participating in a sport because the entire purpose is to achieve a bigger goal. Crum compared it to if he owned a business and two college graduates with the same grade point average applied to work there. He said, “If one of those applicants were a student athlete, they would get the position because being involved in multiple activities makes you stand out as a diligent and dedicated worker.”
Junior accounting major and former pitcher for the men’s baseball team Jacob Whitcomb said there are two main things he gained from his athletic career: a good work ethic and attention to detail. Freshman accounting major and guard for the women’s basketball team Helen Vargo shared Whitcomb’s thoughts and said she has learned sportsmanship, trust and communication. “My experience as an athlete has taught me how to interact with others and be part of a team that shares the same interests. Hopefully, my career will do the same,” she added.
Freshman psychology major and point guard for the women’s basketball team Alexia Duncan plans on applying her experience playing basketball to achieve a future career as well. “I intend to use my athletic experience for a career outside my sport by staying focused and always going after what I want,” she said. “And the main skill I carry over from playing basketball that I apply to my major and future goals is hard work. You have to be able to work hard to be successful.”
In regards to how a diverse set of majors adds to a sports team, Fonseca explained that the women she coaches have majors ranging from criminal justice to communications. “All of the players, regardless of their major, are on the team because they love the sport, but their likes, dislikes and course of study may be different. This is what makes our team unique,” she said. Fonseca believes the different perspectives and insights brought to the table are beneficial to the team.
Duncan also discussed how she personally applies her major to specific aspects of playing the game; she focuses on the mentality behind the gameplay. She added, “My major is in psychology, so we focus on the mental side of things a lot. With basketball I try to stay mentally tough to where I’m telling myself I can do things, and it keeps pushing me forward.”
An athlete does not have to major in sports management or coaching to learn something from playing the game, nor does having a major outside of the sports realm lack impact on the team as a whole. There are still lessons to be learned, and each person brings their own set of skills to the game.