Life as a college athlete is a rigorous, demanding, time consuming and frequently exhausting existence.
Practices, team meetings, conditioning, travel and games are coupled with academics and accompanying hours of study and class preparation. Suffice it to say, it鈥檚 not easy.
Among those who choose this path are a small handful of student-athletes who want even more. They have a passion for a second sport and are willing to make the sacrifices it requires to compete in both.
Ja鈥橠aa Wilson is a prime example.
Wilson has played basketball and flag football at 黑料网 Wesleyan since arriving on campus as a freshman four years ago from Crawfordsville, Florida.
She was a member of the varsity basketball team the past two seasons after two years on the junior varsity. She has played flag football since the program began four years ago and is constantly on the field as a defensive back and wide receiver.
Away from her athletic endeavors Wilson pursued a major in Pre-Athletic Training and will receive her degree during graduation ceremonies May 11.
No one, starting with Wilson, will say it has been easy, but she made it thanks to her discipline, perseverance and a big assist from her coaches.
鈥淭here were a few times when I was tired,鈥� Wilson said, 鈥渂ut I worked through it. It鈥檚 something you have to do if you鈥檙e going to play two sports. I tried to not let it bother me and did the best I could.鈥�
Her efforts did not go unnoticed.
鈥淏eing a college athlete is not for everyone, especially a dual-sport athlete which is something special,鈥� flag football coach Melinda Nguyen said. 鈥淛ust a lot of time management, commitment, priorities, communication 鈥� it鈥檚 a huge balancing act.聽 Ja鈥橠aa found that sweet spot where you can balance both.鈥�
鈥淛ust watching her show up every day and play hard and give everything she has for her teammates and coaches, that鈥檚 something when you say Ja鈥橠aa Wilson that I will always remember,鈥� women鈥檚 basketball coach Ryan Showman said. 鈥淗er approach was wanting to be really great, whether it was academics, basketball or flag. She poured everything she had into all three areas.鈥�
Communication was essential, particularly during the times when activities in the two sports overlapped.
鈥淪he always did a great job of communicating with me, and we were always on the same page,鈥� Showman said. 鈥淚 never told her no. I knew how important flag was, I knew how important she was to the flag team and I wanted to be able to work with her because that was part of the deal we talked during the recruiting process.鈥�
鈥淥f course, there are times when you get overwhelmed and that鈥檚 when the communication comes in, and she does a great job communicating with me. 鈥楬ey, I need a day, a mental break鈥櫬燼nd I can put it in,鈥� Nguyen said.
Wilson has played basketball as long as she can remember but didn鈥檛 take up flag football until her freshman year in high school. She was hooked immediately.
Her passion for both convinced her to enter the Pre-Athletic Training program. She is unsure, though, where her career path will go and is considering her options 鈥� returning to play flag football for a fifth season being one of them.
鈥淚 want to stay involved in sports in any aspect I can,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t might be in training, or it might be in coaching. I feel like my personality is really good for coaching. I love to help and give back to my community.鈥�
Athletic training remains a possibility, as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really just doing what鈥檚 best for the athlete before and after the game so that they can perform at their best,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very sport is different. You鈥檝e got different injuries; you鈥檝e got different techniques. It just depends on the athletes鈥� preference and where their injury is.鈥�
鈥淎 student-athlete who graduates is in a really great position, because they鈥檝e done the balancing act,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e done academics on top of hours and hours of film study and practices and games and all of those skills translate.鈥�
For Wilson, the path to success was clear early on.
鈥淚t starts in the classroom 鈥� you鈥檙e a student first and then an athlete,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou have to get into your books and make sure your grades are good. All of our teachers and professors are really good at teaching us and getting us hands-on experience.鈥�
Nguyen and Showman have no doubts Wilson will succeed.
鈥淐ollege is supposed to be that middle ground between school life and real life,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淚 think being an athlete is a perfect prime example of having to learn those life skills early on. She鈥檚 got a great wide range of experiences, so she can explore whatever she鈥檚 interested in and succeed at all of them.鈥�
鈥淚 know it wasn鈥檛 easy, but, man, Ja鈥橠aa made it look easy and I think that鈥檚 a tribute to her and the person she is,鈥� Showman said.
Story by Bob Davidson
