Last year, the NCAA changed the way it chooses teams for the women's soccer post-season national tournament. Now, the number one team from each conference is offered an automatic qualifier bid to the tournament, in addition to a limited number of at-large bids. As one of the most, if not the most, competitive conferences in the country, the NESCAC has in previous years sent seven or eight teams to the national tournament. This year, however, only three teams were offered bids to the tournament, with Tufts and Bowdoin both being given bids because of their strong schedule and successful records.
Since the NCAA has changed the way it chooses teams for the tournament, I have had significant difficulties in choosing classes. We are required to play each team in the conference now, including Middlebury (four hours away), which makes our schedule much more compressed and hectic. As opposed to the two previous seasons I have played for Tufts, this season has been significantly harder on my academics. We had at least three games scheduled mid-week this season that otherwise would have been weekend games. This change made choosing classes and going to classes that were mandatory for my majors quite difficult. To avoid missing class, I had to schedule courses that did not end after 1 p.m., and, as many students know, the majority of upper-level courses in many departments do not begin until the afternoon, even late afternoon.
Because we had so many games mid-week this season, I was not able to take classes that I needed for my majors. This is extremely ironic, since the point of changing the NCAA's policies for Division III athletes was to allow them to focus more on their academics. It is quite evident that this method does nothing but hinder the fluency of the student-athletes' academic calendar, making it impossible to take classes. At least in previous years, we knew that regular season games were only on Tuesdays, which allowed for more flexibility.
This semester, however, we had games, both home and away, that were on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This creates an alarming contradiction, since students are "encouraged" to spend more time on studies than sports. I chose Tufts, as opposed to a Division I school, because I thought that I would be able to achieve a balance between sports and studies. This season, however, has proved otherwise. In order to be a competitive athlete, attending both games and practices, I was forced to sacrifice vital aspects of my education.
If nothing else, the end of this season, besides being so much fun competitively, has allowed for more flexibility in my schedule. I experienced more problems with the regular season games than I did with postseason play. The women's soccer team played as long as possible for Division III athletes this season, and I believe that this is the strongest testament for the argument against the academically "hindering" post-season.
It is no secret that athletes have a stricter schedule than non-athletes, and thus have a more structured lifestyle. Athletes must set aside special time for their academics, which they obviously do - statistics show that athletes have a slightly higher GPA than non-athletes. In addition, participating on a varsity team only strengthens a student's determination and focus. It makes the ideals that were once placed upon only academics applicable to all aspects of one's life. The student willingly engages in something that is useful and not shoved down their throat.
I do a significant amount of other activities aside from soccer. I am an Explorations Leader and I am also an active member of the Tufts Feminist Alliance. These two groups play a major part in my life, but I must balance the time I allot to them with the time I spend playing soccer. Tufts could be a lot more supportive of its athletes if it attended to the needs of every student.
Tufts does not have the power to alter the policy of the NCAA, but it can control other factors which will ease the pressure put on athletes. Tufts has the ability to better manage the tension-filled course scheduling of student-athletes. Other schools in the NESCAC allow for a break in the daily academic schedule for athletic teams. Williams, a competitive rival both academically and in almost every sport, does not schedule classes between 4-6 p.m., setting aside the time for athletic practices. This gives athletes a fair shot at enrolling in courses that would have met during these times. I understand that certain classes are scheduled during the afternoon because of the professors' preference, but by not offering any classes during this block, Tufts would be much more considerate towards its athletes, whom they encourage to strive for excellence.
This is just one alternative to the problematic situation at Tufts for student-athletes, a term which, in itself, is a much-abused phrase that expresses the school's enthusiasm for athletics, yet neglects to address the major issues that these particular students face when acting out this "revered" role.
As a member of the Tufts women's soccer team, I am more than proud of the accomplishments of this season. We worked very hard to achieve such honors. I do not see, however, how the school has supported us as students. Tufts does not acknowledge the difficulty involved in an athlete's choice of courses, and makes no effort to accommodate the sports schedule. Furthermore, despite what the women's soccer team may have done for the notoriety of Tufts, nothing has been done to resolve the disadvantages athletes face in the academic realm of Tufts. In addition, the choice to participate in athletics certainly should not be considered a sacrifice at the expense of getting a quality education. If Tufts is going to take pride in the accomplishments of its athletes, it needs to address their needs as students of the school. There needs to be a change in the way athletes are forced to deal with a limited choice of courses.
Tufts student-athletes are indeed at a disadvantage as a result of this structured course outline, and I believe this to be a major flaw in the main function of the school itself. I know many other athletes who both understand my concerns and believe it is necessary to take action to balance how Tufts views its athletes and how it treats them.
Lynn Cooper is a junior majoring in comparative religion and English. She was a starting forward for the women's soccer team that finished second in the NCAA tournament.
