I love seeing your guy's thoughts and takes on this! I just wanted to say a couple of things: 1. I know I just stated the negative parts but there are many great things about being a college athlete that I can make a full video on too if that's something people would want. My college athletic experience is something I wouldn't trade for anything and I'm so happy I got to experience it. 2. IF YOU'RE LOOKING INTO COLLEGE ATHLETICS, I don't want this video to discourage you at all! If you're a high school student then by all means try your best to pursue your athletic goals and if you're already a college athlete, keep up the good work. I just wanted this video to inspire those to not completely neglect your academics and while it may be even more challenging to do well in school as well as your sport, I promise your future self will appreciate it! You can do it!
Be more straightforward, I know many students are use sports to entrance a good university including someone who love sports. It doesn’t matter. you’re right, it’s good to put more energy and time on their study and career in the future. Only 2 % of them can be Professional athletes.
Man you don't have to make anyone feel better about the information you're presenting. You have experienced what very few have. It was rewarding, but really difficult at times. That's real! The lights and glamour are for the crowd. You are doing the work. Much respect! Keep it up, and keep grinding. Make your cheese, and get your hustle on.
I'm not an athlete, but I've seen athletes in my uni and how much work they put in. Many of them have the same mindset that they won't be pursuing this as a career, but they still put in the work because they really love the sport. I thought that it's a very interesting reason to get behind, given how rigorous their schedule is. I haven't seen any of the post-college symptoms yet mainly because my friends and I are still in uni. I hope that you will be able to move forward from it because many of you are hardworking and disciplined, which are great skills to have. All the best in your future, and I can't wait to see your post college adventures! Tbh, there is a growing trend of videos recording their day and life as a working adult, which could be a potential idea once you graduate. 😀
@@marcosricopeng Isn't it really depressing and discouraging tonwork and not become a professional athlete?? Isnit mostly fun and enjoyable I hope?? And why can't most of the athletes achieve their dreams..life is hard enough..
From an ex Division I athlete, there were many days and nights in my life where I questioned if all this is worth it or not. To be honest, I still don't have the answer but being a college athlete does teach you many things that you can't learn elsewhere. On the other hand, the domestic abuse by the coaches, imposter syndrome, feeling like you are not loved amongst the team can really really really take a toll on you and might scar you for a long time. Therapy helps :)
"being a college athlete does teach you many things that you can't learn elsewhere" im sorry but this is plainly not true. learn an instrument, take up art, take self-defense classes. Hell, even video games can all have the capacity to establish the concept of discipline to achieve something that "has no shortcuts." impostor syndrome is also just endemic to college students regardless if that means you don't think you're as smart as everyone in your school or major, you think you don't deserve your achievements or grades, and worst of all, people self-select out of the industries they major in because of their fear of incompetence. There is really no difference between the principals that sports and music teach children and the difficulties that come along with it all ime (outside of the time it takes to "master"), although i never pursued sports in college because i went out of my way to go to a school with no division sports and my relatively low student debt thanks me for that (schools with division sports have some truly messed up monetary allocation practices that basically don't inform students that 30-60% of their tuition goes to division athletes' facilities and does not benefit or generate revenue for the educational sector of the school or impact the students in any way, unless they're athletes). The fact that college coaches can make more than 10x the median salary of professors should never EVER be acceptable.
I was a D3 swimmer for four years and I went through post career depression hard after my senior year conference meet, so I can only imagine what it's like for a D1 athlete. The silver lining is that you have a unique, unspeakable bond with thousands of other people around the world who were also college swimmers and will understand so much about you within 90 seconds of meeting you. And this includes potential employers.
You could always transition into coaching in order to stay close to your sport. You could coach at the high school or college level. Or, alternatively, you could keep your competitive juices flowing by taking up another sport - like triathlons, where your swimming skills will be a huge asset.
If the job market is low on opportunities you have a excellent secondary life skill where you could always be a recreation baths attendant or even a lifeguard, plus a swimming teacher. And plenty time to train more as a swimmer. Paid full time what more could be better😂
I worked part time while in college and was tired from working, classes, lack of time for studying, etc & didn't do a lot of social in college to maintain my grades so I wondered D1 athletes how do it when their schedule is even more demanding than mine. I knew one who played hockey, in a hard major & got into medical school. Thanks for your insight video.
A GPA that would typically get people put on academic probation just means the coach needs to "talk" to the professor/school. Look at the GPAs of D1 athletes. Most should be nowhere near a college.
I was never a college athlete, but, as an undergrad, I worked between 20-30 hrs per week while going to school. Summers, I'd work full-time. Spring break, I'd work full-time (I never went on a college spring break vacation). Every holiday I'd work 8-hrs per day, to cover the full-time workers who had the holiday off. I'd still have to get my own exercise workouts in, so that took time as well. And, unlike D1 scholarship athletes, I did NOT have access to the tutoring support and "athletes only" computer rooms and study facilities, nor did I have access to a training table. So I'd argue that my life was just as busy as a college athletes. I attended a community college prior to transferring to a 4-year university. I found that many community college students work even harder. At CC, it was not uncommon for older students to be married, have kids, work a full-time job, AND take a full load of courses.
@@fritzjackson4336 I was a tutor in college. I agree with you. Many college athletes don't care much about school. The only reason they are there is because of athletics. But there are also those athletes who do care about school. However, schools like Cal have higher academic standards and provide the opportunity of getting a world-class education. So any athlete who doesn't take full advantage of the quality education that Cal can deliver (or that any college can deliver) is a fool.
I was a D1 rower at USC and had an identity crisis after graduating as rowing was my main focus as well as my family. It was a difficult transition as I struggled with partying, working full-time and trying to maintain my training to fill the void. I believe we should have support and education during our college experience about life after college athletics. Thank you for bringing this conversation up as I feel it affects so many student-athletes. I really enjoy your videos. Best wishes for you during your transition and go Pac-12!
Thank you for watching! And yeah, there should be a system in place to help athletes in college just like there is for athletes specifically during college
I was a d1 track runner, but suffered shin splints which developed into a stress fracture in my shin bone when my injury was neglected and I was forced to continue racing and training at full intensity. Keeping up with the schedule was already difficult enough but coaches taking the time to see their athletes as a project to achieve potential rather than looking for quick results at the athletes expense is a change id like to see for collegiate athletes
Pretty accurate I think one point you missed that seems common is a radical loss of community. For 4 years we spend nearly every day partially at least with our team, we live with our teammates or other student athletes, we go to each other’s parties, we go to bars together events together, plan our futures, then first the seniors when you started leave from your team ,disappear, and your team changes then the juniors leave and you now feel that the mentors who helped you start this journey are gone, not physically but they don’t exist in the social sphere of ‘the student athlete’ but away from it. You are one of the mentors helping the freshman both socially, studying, and in their sport, and usually career wise as well. You leave senior year being respected by your team and loving them but knowing that you won’t be as close to most of them. Of all the feuds between teams or cliques, the camaraderie that dominated your entire life while on campus is completely in the past. Many leave the area, some of the friends don’t respond when you text them, people who relied on you and who you relied on. Often people quit their sport, push into careers. The end result is that role based identity that you get by becoming a D1 student athlete after a few years feels like a distant memory of someone else, all your new friends are different etc
I spent my entire childhood swimming and wanted to at least swim in college. I ended up quitting swimming in high school, even though I could have continued if I really wanted to, for a variety of reasons. Eventually I found myself in a great place academically, and opportunities that I’m incredibly excited for. Even though I’m happy with where I ended up part of me always felt guilty for quitting, and this video helped me realize that I probably did make the best choice. It might seem insignificant to some people but it is something I’ve always wondered if I would regret, and now know I most likely won’t. Thank you for making this video.
Not an athlete here but it was nice to see the other side of all the luxury and privileges athletes get in their time in college. I thought athletics is something to die for
I was a division 1 athlete and post undergrad I got my MSc. Honestly, grad school felt so freeing, when I didn't have to juggle workouts, games, practices, and team meetings. I loved playing ball in college, but looking back, it was rough on mental health and physically exhausting, while the experience was something else, I'm not sure I would repeat it, and now I tell my kids if they get the chance I'm not sure the extra stress is worth it, but it's their choice if and when the time comes. The worst part, you come from a place where you are THE guy or gal in high school and always being the best to just being another face and like you said when that hapoens the first time it really ahakes you to your soul, abusive coaching tactics and horrible fans really grinds you down when you are that young. While I wasn't a star by any means I got to play in a few games when someone got hurt, and once I completely goofed and blew an assignment, while it didn't lose the game for us, we ultimately lost, the treatment you can get from fans and students after that really messes with your psyche which can rattle you from your class work and be devastating to your social life. But most of the time you are are too young to know where or how to ask for help so you bottle it up, and it eats at you for ages. To any young athlete going through that, it's ok to ask for help, and therapy truly helps. The best, you do build some near unbreakable bonds with your teammates, and there are many practical lessons you learn that you won't learn anywhere else. I just wish kids had all the information going into the NCAA so they could make informed choices based kn whats best for them personally.
Hey! Honestly your video popped up at the right time. I’m from India and a student athlete playing women’s tennis at a D1 university. Honestly I have been going through the same stuff which you spoke about and I definitely agree that not a lot of people talk about mental health for student athletes especially if your an international. I have my own UA-cam channel and possibly in the coming days would share my own story about the same! I think we all feel the same way in a lot of situations but just few talk about it. But thanks again for talking about these things and raising awareness. All the best for your journey ahead!
Thank you for sharing your experience, i think it's a topic that's definitely not talked about enough. Looking forward to seeing your video on it! Lmk when you post it :)
Practicing sports helped me a lot after college. I used to swim in high school but stopped during college, I liked my career but I found college life to be not as stimulating as I believed. When I graduated I started to notice I wasn't as fit as I was in high school and started to swim again, since that was the only type of exercise I knew how to do and I always enjoyed swimming as a hobby. Eventually I joined a masters team and it has been mostly fun since is something I enjoy doing and is something that distracts me from work and helps me relax from other stuff going on in my life. It also has allowed me to expand my social circle and make new friends. So my advice for someone who swam competitively during college would be to keep doing it as long as they can if it's something you enjoy.
D3 swimmer here(uwosh) and it really does strike home when you realize that it's not just yourself feeling lost after your last season ends. The one thing that might've been nice to hear was that athletics, and especially performance based sports such as wrestling/swimming/diving/track&field/etc, teach very valuable lessons about working hard to achieve your goals. I translated every lesson I picked up in the pool to the academic world and my own personal life. To say that our hard work, hours on hours on hours of grinding through weights, dryland, swims, and meets amounts to nothing...well, it's just not true. It takes a lot of dedication, commitment, perseverance, and a lot of other character traits that we built up along the journey through college athletics. I'm not sure if you'll read this, but from one swammer to another, I'm proud you chose to stick it out even through covid.
Honestly thank you for making this video! I’ve been off swimming for 2 years and just got back to competitive swimming with a Masters club last year. So far I’ve been training around half of the volume you listed in the video and it was killing me, I spent so much time napping and studying leaving very little time for socializing. I always thought something I didn’t do right or people just sucked it up and got used to it and I had to set easier goals for swimming. This video is very informing and instead of making everyone think athletes are super humans, it really shows the struggle of college athletes. I’m also a psych student and we were talking about giving up a goal whether it’s expected by others or extremely desired by yourself is very hard both physically and mentally. If it helps you in anyway, the most healthy way is to rethink about one’s value and beliefs to adjust their goals to combat post-athlete depression. I’m no expert of motivation psychology but if you want to know more I could offer you more resources!
What you said is dead on and I think a lot of student athletes experience it but not enough people talk about it. I appreciate the little tip in the end, I think it's definitely a good way to look at the whole situation
I am 63yrs old and I’m still trying to be the athlete I think I can be. Looking back and seeing what went wrong hurts but for you to say you participated in college Athletics is more than most get to say. Football and basketball where mine but sadly enough Reality hit and there was no call for a six to power forward anywhere so I set new challenges for myself and try to get better every day my new challenge is swimming it’s been a 3 years ride but my progress blows my mind. I started not knowing how to swim to being able to do a half mile to a mile in a pool in 30-55 min. So in my mind I’m a athlete , lol !!!
I think this video added great balance to the "usual" videos you make. And a necessary balance-reality needs to be a part of students future planning. Sure, going pro would be a dream for most athletes, but at 2% of the total number of athletes, people have to be realistic about it. I think the work ethic and effort put forth show after college in whatever a person chooses to do-and the dedication athletes have to put into all of their activities should put them in a better place to do better after graduation. Most excellent video!
Thank you for watching and I 100% agree. I know that college athletes are definitely more equipped to tackle the real world in terms of work ethic but it is a shame that many aren't able to utilize that to their full potential because they ignored the academic part in college.
Hi Marcos, I have been swimming in Seville most of my life until I moved to the UK after finishing my PhD in Biotechnology. I have never been a great swimmer (only qualified for Andalusian champs), but I have always loved training! (I trained with Kiko Porcar in Alcalá for 13 years!). I have watched some of your videos and they made me think about the tremendous effort that I had to do to combine my Bachelor/Masters and PhD while training almost everyday and how proud I am about it! I can imagine that right now you are experiencing a post-college sadness, and you may even feel "less excited" about life in general. But you know what? THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!! You are about to start a new life, with new adventures and challenges, you will have an amazing job!, travel to incredible places and enjoy other aspects of life more; you will have a different life now INDEED!, but you will love it as much as you loved your time as student-athlete. I still wake up at 5:30 am to train with a Masters club in the UK and do land training to improve my breastroke technique XD; and after that, I go to work and I use the "soft skills" that I acquired from swimming to be the best version of myself!! I still have fun racing and I even won a bronze in the British Nationals Masters last year!! This is a very long post but, in a nutshell, you have remembered me how great and hard my time as a swimmer was when I was at uni and, trust me, the best time of your life is yet to come!! Thanks for your insight into "being a D1 Cal swimmer". All the best Ana
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! It's so cool to see that you're still succeeding in athletics despite all the time that has passed - I aspire to be continue doing that like you when I'm older. And thank you for your kind words, they really do mean a lot and I am excited for what the future has in store for me
Nice video. I can tell you that as an employer I would love to hire a college athlete WITHOUT internship experience leaving college because athletes have one amazing skill that cannot be easily trained. And that is athletes want to WIN. When you have the mindset of a winner you are more likely to get the sale, overcome challenges, or excel in uncomfortable situations. I hire a lot of people who just do their job. It’s the people who have an overwhelming desire to win that excel in life. So just because you don’t have internship experience leaving college does not mean employers won’t want to hire you.
lol please do not hire me. this is the most upper-management-ass, blind over-confidence, making-up-false-rules-for-success-out-the-ass tripe i've ever heard. you are within that 2/3 of managers that net 0 productivity or negative productivity with their employees. you also just fetishize athletes. a majority of people have at least "one amazing skill that cannot be easily trained." it is simply saddening you don't not see the same potential in non-physical stuff like skilled musicians and artists who go through identical challenges and competitiveness.
I received a D1 scholarship for Track - it was $700. Which, at the time wasn't terrible but still wasn't great. I turned it down for a bigger scholarship at a private school. Most of my costs were covered by athletic and academic scholarships at the smaller private school - but it was a year by year scholarship, no guarantee for all four years. It also required I run Cross Country even though I was a middle distance runner. Anyway, it was incredibly difficult, even at a small school. We ran 100+ miles a week during cross country, and trained (running and lifting) probably 3 hours a day during track season. In the winter we trained for indoor track. I never had much time off between seasons. I was poor af and needed about 10,000 calories a day to maintain my already low bodyweight. Food wasn't covered by scholarship so I had to make it work - lots of pasta and cheap meat cuts. Driving home to my parents when I could and loading up on groceries. Beer. I never felt full. The schedule was a nightmare, as you indicated. Weekends were gone because meets were all over the country, so it was 2-3 hour flights or 12 hour drives to get to meets on Friday, compete on Saturday, drive back on Sunday - somehow fit homework in there where I could. Train all the next week, do it all again next weekend. I was injured my junior year, couldn't return for my senior year. Lost my scholarship, but by then I was kind of happy about it. Borrowed the last years tuition, finished school. The competitive nature and time management skills launched me into a successful career of getting money. I also carried my love for exercise into new areas as I aged. I'm 35 now and I lift weights to stay active, running and lifting have a lot of similarities as far as mental toughness goes. I know a ton of dudes that got done with their sports career and just got fat and lazy. I can't blame them, a lifetime of constant work takes it's toll and it's easy to want to just call it quits and "retire". It helped me to just keep finding areas to compete and "win".
Thank you for taking the time to talk about this! I have many swimmer friends two of whom goes to Cornell and Columbia, they all say the same things and no one seems to understand. Sure there are many positive sides of being a student-athlete, but just because you guys do a great job of going through all these with a happy face, the majority doesn't seem to understand the negatives sides.
I was a D3 hammer thrower (track and field) and ended up earning D3 All American. Graduating hit hard on multiple levels. I feel like individual sports like track and probably swimming are a bit different because the people on the team are doing it more because they love the sport. Like I would look forward to track practices, something that never happened to me when I was playing football in highschool. But that makes it harder to leave behind. I tried to compete after college, but I'm not good enough to be "professional" and the small, infrequent meets in my area have little competition where it is pretty meaningless to go. Since I'm not trying to qualify for anything, its basically just paying someone to measure your throws, something I could do on my own if I wanted. I still throw from time to time, but throwing alone is not the same as practicing with your best friends. It's unfortunate because after graduation, you're never really able to replicate the comradery you had with your teammates.
I certainly can understand the challenges of being a college athlete. I wrestled at the D-3 level for my first 2 years of college, and it's very demanding. I can only imagine how much more demanding it would be at the D-1 level. So I can understand why it's so tough to succeed in both sports and academics.
I was a runner in college. It wasn't fun, it was a job. And you are in as much competition with your teammates as kids from other schools. Everyone basically just does their own thing and there is little camaraderie.
Hey me to im a runner and im from the first year and yeah im experiencing alot of mental issues because we practice to monday through saturday and i felt the struggle is real and my academic aint doing to well to be honest i even ask myself if i should quit the sport after this semester
Quitting my sport at a D1 school when I was 18 was probably a life saver in the sense that I was so miserable, dreaded practice (i.e. the coach's "methods"), and had been so closely identified with the sport for years. My life opened up, I discovered interests that weren't on the radar in H.S., and regained lost weight and then some. I would experience a love-hate relationship with basketball for the rest of college as I changed teams and schools two more times, suffered a low back injury, and repeated the cycle of leaving and then making a comeback. I know that the less complicated jocks thought I was weird, but I'm 68 now, swim laps 3-4 times per week, and apply the grit of sport to my artistic endeavors. It was hard ultimately to let go of something I'd put so much time into while hearing others (try to) persuade me to play again. Had I had a different, more understanding and humane, but still challenging coach that first year, things might have turned out differently since I improved so much physically between my freshman and sophomore years even though I'd taken five months off, but I didn't and they didn't. We make choices that can send us into unknown directions, but that is how life is so much of the time anyway. If you're running down the court as a fifth-year senior wondering why you're still doing this, it shows and it's time to explore the many interesting things the world has to offer.
AWESOME video! There are so many great points here. It's so true that many student-athletes are making dangerous compromises and missing out on top majors, high grades, or prestigious internships for short-term athletic gains over long-term career gains. "Amateur" sports have become so competitive that we have more "athlete-students" than "student-athletes". Athletic recruiting seems kinda foolish when those athletes can't take full advantage of the academic opportunities. That's what I love about this channel: it shows the process & life of pursuing a valuable & challenging major like EECS at a top school while balancing top-level varsity athletics. I think this channel could have a bright future with a pivot to tech content 😉
I was a female D1 swimmer who received a full, four-year scholarship for swimming. This was decades ago, before there was anything even remotely resembling "professional swimming." I was also a distance swimmer, who swam in one of the toughest (i.e. most yardage) programs in the country at that time (pre-college). Yes, I sacrificed my entire childhood. But college was the reward. When I graduated college, I moved on to receiving my master's at 24 summa cum laude. Got married, backpacked across Europe for a year, worked professionally and had kids (lots). I still swim every day, but it doesn't define who I am, when it sure used to! I do it to remain healthy and b/c I love it. But now, this seeminly never-ending "professional swimming" has become a thing and so many swimmers compete far too long. We used to understand that at 22, you graduate and life goes on. You use the same unrenlenting discipline you developed in swimming and apply that to your career, family, whatever.
Yep. Me and my male swim friends who were Olympic level couldn't get scholarships whereas many females who just started swimming recently and were horrible got full rides. Thank you Title 9
@@purselmer5931 No they didn't. Half of my team were world record holders and Olympic gold medalists and no one got a full ride. Vice even did a show how Title 9 completely decimated all mens college sports except for football and basketball
So I’m not a D1 athlete yet but I’ll share my opinion anyways! I honestly don’t know what’s keeping me in the sport anymore, but there is just this little fire (which often disappears and then comes back) in me that is basically saying “are you going to make it or not, there is a way to find out but if you don’t push yourself -you don’t get to see the outcome”. The special moments, the adrenaline as well! Maybe we “the humans” as animals-we like having this urge to compete and be the best but I agree with you… It’s hard to keep up all of this shit together, we feel like our identity is based on the sport we do, and if the sport disappears for some reason we lose our identity! We don’t have a purpose anymore! There is that question as well- did I managed to lost 5+ years on a sport that I didn’t managed to do at pro level? Is this a waste of time? What could’ve happened if I just lived my teen years like a normal teen without being so competitive and stuff? It’s really hard to identify why we’re doing it or it’s just because we’re scared that “the waste of time” part is not going to come if I just keep going no matter if I like it or not? Scared of transition/ getting to know a different lifestyle? Idk anymore but maybe that’s meant to happen? That’s what’s written in our books! Thank you for reading, hope you have a good day! Don’t give up as well- there are good and bad moments!
The video quality is insane, an awesome production once again 🔥👌Thank you for shedding some light on this, I never knew that college athletes had it that rough to that extent. I really think that information like this should be sensitized more to high school athletes so that they can figure out thoroughly their college plans.🔥👊
Great video topic Marcos. I'm glad you have a platform to talk about the "depressing shit", because it does exist, and this is fantastic for raising awareness of the subject. Thank you for sharing your experience :)
Great video! My parents were so disappointed when I quit D1 swimming after my sophomore year. Honestly it was one of the best decision I made for my life and career, as I was able to network and do internships while working in my major. Swimming is a great sport, but it's not a long term career for most.
Marcos descubrí tu canal hace un par de meses y no puedo estar más identificado contigo y con tu estilo de vida.Soy futbolista amateur y estudiante de medicina y te agradezco un montón que hayas hablado de este tema tan tabú y a la vez tan necesario que a veces evitamos los deportistas , me has ayudado a clarificar muchas ideas . Te lo agradezco de corazón enserio.
From a former division 1 sec swimmer: I got a degree I could have got at the 8th grade level. I worked so hard from 5 years old until 22 years old that I didn't do much of anything for the next 20 years due to burn out. Now have a great job and life, but still regret ever being a competitive swimmer. It did absolutely 0 good in life except make me miss 20 years of it.
I am currently a division 2 swimmer and it is just as bad as division 1 as it seems from this video. we train so much and I also had to switch majors so I had more time to do my sport and things I needed to do outside of school and swimming so I would not go insane. Thank you for making this video, I hope more people understand the struggles now
Suffering from this every time an athletic or other project has ended. Thing is to find another goal, another project and as time goes on, you learn to deal with the downer afterwards. What sports teaches you foremost is to deal with the setbacks along the way and to prevail. Good luck to you on your future endeavours.
The starting over part is something I'm struggling with right now. I golf and I only played 2 years in a community College but I've been playing since I was 3 I'm a little lost right now and trying to figure out what I would like to do. It's surreal knowing I can play this game for the rest of my life but not professionally. The change in mindset from competition to hobby is very difficult.
@@JakezillagfwIf you love golf and have deep passion towards the sport you can keep on striving to become a pro or you can work in a department related to the golf industry
Old lady at 7:30 is right, Evans Hall is a top 3 ugliest building on Cal's campus. I was full ride at Cal for track and cross country ('10-'15) and experienced all of these things. The post-collegiate identity crisis is real!
Great analysis, as always. I really love your perspective on this matter. Being a student athlete sometimes is draining and everything. Sometimes you feel like giving up and quitting because it will be too much at some point given the acads and rigorous trainings. But what I love about it is that it created a foundation in me in which I can still use now like time management, discipline and gratitude which are just some of the benefit. But being productive juggling between studies and being an athlete really paid off in some matter. Plus the experience you'll have will never amount to any denominations the world can offer, it is yours and will always be yours until the end. :)
so good to watch and hear things like those you’ve said, Marco! i’m a brazilian tennis player starting my student-athlete career this fall and my mindset is simply like yours. I think every single thing we do in life should be filled with passion and effort. otherwise, why would we be doing that, right?! even if we know realistically talking what our chances are. I really appreciate your videos, stats and also your personal information, because learning with people who passed through what we’re dreaming with is the best way. no doubt on that. keep doing this great work and i maybe we can meet one day and talk and share experiences about this awesome world that sports/study is! take care buddy.
Thank you for your kind words and I wish you all the best in your athletic career - it's going to be the toughest but most rewarding years for sure. Just make sure you're doing it because you want to not because you have to. Hope to meet you some day!
The whole post sports depression thing is tough. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me I already have gone through that in a way and understand and value my time as a college athlete even more now. I had a lot of stuff happen my senior high school season that essentially almost screwed over my shot of getting any scholarships and almost robbed me of my chance of competing collegiately. At the end of my senior season I had no offers and virtually no colleges were even interested in giving me a spot at first. I remember just feeling so down because the one thing that I had spent years of my life dedicated to was gone in an instant. But then I found a coach who was willing to give me a spot, and am now finishing up my first collegiate track season at the D3 level. I know that I won't run forever, so I just make sure to savor the time that I do have even more, the little moments in practice or at a meet. Thinking of starting my own YT channel next year too, because I think seeing what we athletes go through on a daily basis is pretty fascinating. Great video, definitely subbing!
Thank you so much for making this video! I'm a senior going to attend Ohio State in the fall. There were times throughout this year when I've experienced burnout moments. COVID especially increased my thoughts of quitting my club team. It's been school and swimming over and over for me and I really never had time to do other activities than swim. Seeing the schedule of college athletes is just crazy but the amount of dedication you have inspires me. You've earned a new subscriber!! Keep up the great work!!!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and providing insight for others. Even if most people aren’t college athletes, it’s nice to learn about what you and so many others have experienced.
Current D1 volleyball player in my second year… and this is one of the most relatable videos on the internet. We always watch the best parts of these “what i do in a day as a D1 athlete” but never their real emotions and feelings. Even on my own channel if I’m having a bad day while filming I never share it to my audience but I think it is important to start showing that part of my days too. Great video :)!
First time seeing a video and hit helped me a lot. I'm age 21 and grew up in gymnastics from age 4 (adopted in Ukraine and raised in US). I did academy gymnastics and spent little time outside classes to get to know friends in school. I grew up wanting to go to Big Ten school for college gymnastics and (who knows, right?) Olympic. This school has Olympian as coach. But I got severely beat up as a 16 year old gymnast from older guys at school on a summer night wanting to have fun punching the overly muscular abs of a gymnast. They worked me over for a long time and changed my life. I transitioned into weight training and bodybuilding starting a few weeks later after I recovered enough. I spent last 2 years of high school leaving more and more out of gymnastics and more and more into body transformation (and stupidly training my 8 pack to take insanely hard punches). As you say about finances my mom (adoptive parents divorced when I was age 10) we couldn't afford my dream school and by then gymnastics was more or less a dead dream. I had built huge and heavy quads and 14 years of gymnastics gave me some joint issues. I then went to community college and that spring 2020 the pandemic hit and I withdrew. I'm now working in construction and haven't gone back to school. This video helped me not be depressed about failing to be a college athlete and what happens after. Gymnastics is like swimming in there not being a life-long opportunity other than coaching (coaches are great btw). Thanks Marcos and I now subscribe to your channel. Anton
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad this video helped change your mindset. As I'm transitioning out of my college athletics years, I am starting to realize there is so much more to life and what may seem like the whole world, if you take a step back, isn't really that meaningful. It seems like you have overcome that and now living a healthy and successful life - salute to you! Keep pushing as the better things are yet to come
@@marcosricopeng Thanks.I think my identity all my life was being a gymnast. It was all I knew from far back as I can remember. Somehow I also got recognized for being able to do a lot of pull ups and any abdominal exercise. In high school I did the best at pull ups and sit ups and rope climb. Leaving gymnastics was hard but I think my joints had enough so I now think college gymnastics might not have happened anyway. Pandemic hit my freshman year of college and so now trying to figure out what I want to do. I'm enjoying working in construction and love working with my hands. I know college is not for everyone. For me going to college was for gymnastics but didn't think what would happen after college. Thanks for your encouragement. Anton
Hey Marcos , Just found your channel and I can seriously relate to you and your content even though I didn’t get the chance to swim in college. I swam competitively for 13 years and then once I graduated high school it just stopped all of a sudden . I had no idea what to do for a little while . Years of hard work for no end result . I had the post olympics depression you mentioned for several months . I want you to know that it does get better . The “ depressing shit “ will go away . As much as I hate to admit it swimming isn’t the most important thing in your life. It took me a while to realize that. It sounds like you just finished your last season and are about to graduate . Don’t try and get rid of swimming super fast if you can . It messed me up when I did that and left for college . I went from 100 to 0. Gradually fade it out ( if you want to ) . I found myself missing it within 2 weeks and didn’t have access to a pool . Honestly I would try find a way to keep swimming in your life at least until your ready to move on to something else other . You have been swimming for so long .That’s what helped me . I started coaching swimming at my old pool with little kids and found that it seriously helped my mindset.I still have swim in my schedule but in a different way . I would say find something to keep you going and busy, (gym, pool, running etc ) it works to keep your mind away from the reality that your done with swimming in college .I wish you the best and will continue to watch your videos .
Absolutely! I'm still swimming quite regularly and working out, it's just weird how everything seems to be over, even though it isn't haha Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!
Honestly, I love my craft so much all the stress and work is worth it. Even if it doesn't make money or if I don't get a scholarship, I just want to play and be around people who love it as much as me. I'm very excited for college and hope I play :)
Looking into running for D1 track in collage I have herd the thoughts and seen the statistics of what the reality is. I understand that everyone else want's to be the best as well as I. This is incredibly insightful for what it is. It has not encouraged me less or made me second guess my choices, rather give me insight on what I should expect. Thank you!
My med school class had a large amount of college athletes (and one former NFL defensive lineman). The guy in charge of admissions loved/loves their ability to manage their time. It also helps explain why medical schools have the best intramural sports teams. As an example, the guy that sat behind me was a wrestler in college. He coached wrestling in an underserved part of our state to the point that he documented over 400 hours of volunteer time on top of his studies. They took outsized roles in student government, including our class president (a former safety for a DI football team). I was just a nerd in my early years. I never saw the value in sports. I still believe leadership opportunities are present outside of sports, things like starting clubs, volunteer work, job experience, etc. However, seeing so many of my friends go from college sports to medicine softened me by showing the time management ability they had. I have encouraged my son to play sports, and it has been invaluable in teaching time management the last couple years.
This was very real and accurate! Fantastic Blog! As well, this sheds light on why there isn't a lot of "party" blogs on the net from "jocks". Wishing you all the best!
I did D1 track and cross country and going into it I always knew I probably wouldn't be making a career out of it (besides not being good enough, its like you said, some sports have no money in them anyways). But the friends, no the family, I made from running will last me the rest of my life. I was never in the military facing life or death with my team, but I imagine the way we bonded over living together and going through the same hardships is very similar to how ex military mates usually have that "I would die for you" mentality. Even if I ended up not getting a degree and dropped out, I consider that money well spent and I wouldn't trade back any of it for the world
I never thought about the 'low points' that comes after being a college athlete. I can appreciate all the hard physical work for your sport and the juggling of your time to fulfill the academics as well. Thanks for this video.
I just finished up my college hockey career and I am happy I was ready to be done. However, I still miss it from time to time here as it has only been a few weeks since the end of my senior year season. This video I really relate to, I was so busy with college athletics that being in mechanical engineering left me no time for much other activity. I noticed after the season how much more time I have as it's the first time no off-season where work starts up right away for next year.
I feel you completely. All of a sudden I have so much more time which I love but I also miss being disciplined and working out everyday. I think it's an adjustment we'll slowly get used to
This was an interesting video. I am the parent of a division 1 swimmer. The identity thing is very real. It is important for parents to reinforce the idea of life outside the pool. However, the pressure to swim through the summer is intense. Luckily, my swimmer can have 3 weeks of observation in his field before he has to return to campus to train for Summer. He has never held a real job because he is always in the pool. You are very right about the lack of money in swimming, especially for the men. Unless you are in the top 10 or already have Olympic trial cuts, the money will not be what one thinks they are worth. On the positive side, the benefits of “team” can be great.
I know as a high schooler who did long distance, 2 practices a day, 6 days a week, 70+ miles a week, when I decided not to continue in college even though I could have gone to a d1 school, I suffered that identity crisis majorly. I realized how much more time my peers had spent figuring out what they wanted for their futures, and had academic and career goals already in place. Now 5 years later, I feel like i'm barely on the same ground as them. But I definitely don't regret anything. Everyone's experience is different, and I still feel like I made the most out of my time so far.
70 miles a week? Damn bro. I run about 40. I dont think i could do 2 practices. My deal is that i could get an okay scholarship at my school for track, but im not going to go crazy in track. I really enjoy running, but i could never do it professionally. Especially since im going into computer engineering.
Super interesting video to see a D1 perspective from my own D2 perspective after graduating undergrad. I think we experience some of the same things, but on a different scale since for most of my team and teammates we couldn’t afford to do a major we didn’t like since we don’t exactly aspire to keep going after college. However it’s really interesting to see how I still swim now in my PhD program and how much my goals and perspective changed since college. More focus on enjoying the practices, meeting people, swimming for fun! It feels more like when I was a kid again as I have gotten older because I know I’m not going to go to the Olympics and my career path is pretty much set so I strive for working out, staying in shape, and just having a good time.
Energy you spend thinking/studying and energy you spend physically active are the same thing. Although I'm not an athlete, I can imagine how hard it is for athletes have to both perform and study. It's exhausting after you work out, and I can't even manage to focus well in my studies if I work out too hard
yeah bro i completely agree with pretty much everything from this video. I myself am an endurance runner athlete and I'm 15 right now and thinking about my future in the sport. Obviously the system from where you are (I assumed America) and where i am (UK) is different but it still has its similarities. I look forward to seeing some more videos like this, it was quite eye-opening! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching! And yeah it's a bit different America from the rest of the world as "college athletics" isn't really a thing elsewhere. But good luck to your future athletic career, you've got this!
You have to LOVE your sport to make it all four years or be an absolute grinder. Something else people don't realize is that it's impossible to do homework/study on game days. You're often too nervous or pumped up to even think about sitting down and doing an assignment for more than 10 minutes.
Students start out with a major outside of their field of interest and maybe take some extra courses to try to move into their field of interest after graduating. If you have exceptional soft skills, it's easier to move from one field to another.
I met someone in college who was a competitive swimmer on top of life guarding, but got to the point where she only did it for the tuition. She loved swimming before, but it eventually became more of a job. At least, that’s how it seemed to me
Man I am on the verge of going D1 but really I already have my tuition paid for being a student (thank you Posse Foundation) and my parents have been saying the same thing concerning joining the cross country team. My main thing is that being part of the sport would (hopefully) give me a group of guys to hang out with and motivation to care for my health and continue to stay fit. Especially since the school I am going to is such a big 'party' school, I hope that I can have a good influence in my life to stay away from such stuff. Plus I really love the sport, but yea I am going to be majoring in Economics to hopefully become a corporate lawyer so my schedule is going to be packed. Especially since I want to do research and take on internships. I'll let you all know how it goes.
I run D1 cross and track and am in a stem major. It of course varies from athlete to athlete but being on the team has been one of the best things that has happened to me, and I don’t feel like I’m overworked. Running tends to take up less time than other sports which helps with that. Good luck man
As an artist, I can relate to this to some degree. I never wanted to go to college just to end up being a teacher or a coach or luck out and get into a large company. Graduating during COVID and not being able to find any jobs forced me to make a change to be a more independent artist who has to have a second job to support myself.
Bro, you nailed it in this video. I was a college athlete in track and was an All American at nationals. It was super difficult realizing that I had spent so much time and energy into it that I wasn’t really ready for that part of my life to end. Thankfully I got married pretty soon after college and that really sped me up to accomplish things in my career.
I play a sport out of passion in an association in my city. All of us do not play professionally, but we invest a fair amount of time for that. Like trainings, league game days as well as tournaments. Apart from that, I have to go jog and lift and some other athletic trainings outside of the official training, so that I can perform better. That‘s why I watch a lot of daily routine of student athlete videos about your time management. For me, it‘s easier & clearer that I will never be a professional athlete for that. But I am willing to invest so much energy, time & money for that bcs sport & fitness are already a part of me. Thank you for sharing your struggles with us. ❤ At the end of the day, the sport is fun and it is like natural to people for us, meanwhile to some people, it is a torture and they are struggling just doing it
I think in all that we do, sacrificies that we make, makes us to be what we want to be. As we aspire to be the best, often times, we change (or lower) our standards on some aspects to be greater at another. Shifting my goals to achieve my ultimate goal of finishing college started in high school as I tried out in many sports and many other things. I played volleyball from the intermediate years, trying out for the high school team, and, being rejected multiple times, I finally made it during sophomore year! I know in the future I would not make it playing volleyball in college, but it looked good in my college applications! This gave me a very good personal statement (in my opinion) that lead me to academic scholarships-nothing to do with sports! Once I got in college, without volleyball (or sports), I switched to another avenue to help me go through college debt free-which was the military. Without the determination, stamina, endurance and being focused during my high school years in volleyball, I would have had a difficult time adjusting to this new world-I say, different kind of sport. At the end, I finished school and went on to get my MBA. So not bad for having the sports background. It’s tough out in the real world, so whatever we may learn or what we may “change” our ways to, it’s not the end of things. It may be just a way to make you better-to step back and look at it at a larger scale-how this would shape you.
I really appreciated your honesty, and your very circumspect understanding of what it means to be a college athlete. I was a gymnast in college, and I was on a full scholarship, fortunately, but I also was under the pressures that you’re under, and opted to spend more time on studies than the athletics. I realized I was never going to be an Olympic gymnast and did after putting studies before gymnastics become a doctor. I Actually, did this almost on a subconscious level. It wasn’t that intentional it just sort of evolved in that direction but today I’m glad that I did put the studies before the athletics. Living, a very comfortable life, semi retired physician Phillip Silverstein M.D,
Another masterpiece! Congratulations for discussing such an interested topic, the majority of people don't know about. A exellent filmed, edited and detailed video about "behind the scenes" ,can I say, life of a student athlete. Hope you all the best in the future, continue chasing your dreams Marcos. Best from Greece!
im an highschool rightnow and at the same time a badminton player so it is often difficult to and confusing on what you do and when come home tired after a long day of practice you never have the motivation to study or do any type of work you want to chill and I really agree with you sir Marcos
I'm from Malaysia and buddy you are such a strong person, I am nobody besides your subscriber haha but just feel like wanna give you some advices, buddy you got this I know it's hard but make your dreams come true, be strong you got this surely I know you can, sometimes it's okay to not be okay but you got to keep on going in life problems will stay but we must keep on going, a big support from Asia namely Malaysia, keep on doing videos about your life I'm here to support your journey! As Tom Holland said in Spider-Man Far From Home "it will be okay" ! Come on you got this my friend! Keep on going big love from Malaysia and if one day you feel like wanna come here and eat our foods do hit me up ya haha it's a joke but who knows, you got this my friend!😊 (pardon my grammar I'm trying haha)
Hey Muhammad, thanks so much for your kind words! You're not nobody and your grammar is perfect my dude. I love how caring this community is, thank you for the support it really does mean a lot!
@@marcosricopeng most welcomeee! Thankyou for saying that cause im in the process of trying to improve my english haha, we are here to support your journey brotha! Make your dreams come true🤘🏻
A correction, NCAA Division I is not the only level allowed to give aid for athletics. Division 2, NAIA, and most NJCAA (junior college) programs can give aid. The amount they are able to give depends on the institution and its governing body, but in theory, they can give aid. It is still a tiny amount of athletes who receive athletic aid, but it is a correction I wanted to point out in case someone is looking into competing in colleges.
Oh sweet boy you don’t actually believe Ivies don’t give athletes scholarships do you? They just don’t call them that but they magically “find” other money.
Great video and indeed Harsh fact that lots of people know but don't talk about it. Great effort has been put by uni athletes into the sports and if some one puts that amount of efforts into any academic subject if they are inspired to do so, they may have a better post-uni life.
Well said and is why I'm a firm believer that everyone should get into athletics, albeit maybe not as intensely as D1, to experience hard work and determination
I think this is one of your best videos. I also went to Berkeley in the 90's, and I am also from Spain (Canary Islands), although I was born in Taiwan... Berkeley was really tough for me not only because it was extremely competitive, but also the language barrier, and the educational system was quite different. I always thought that athletes were pampered because they had special section/diet in the dining hall, and also they had study time with available tutors.... But I guess we were all in the same boat. It was tough!
Wow crazy how similar our life is haha Spanish, Taiwanese, and Berkeley. Sounds just about Berkeley to be hard for everyone, regardless of what you do haha go bears!
Thanks for giving the real lowdown on your life in college. You could be helping many high school athletes to be more realistic about athletics at the university level!
Thank you for watching! I don't want to discourage high-school athletes from pursuing college athletics but rather inspire them to not give up their academics to pursue athletics
Amazing video. I am a student ahtlete at Boston Universiity and i struggle with the same things. Im thankful that there are people who finally understand what we go through.
I'm currently finishing my senior year of high school and competing in club swimming. When I was a lower classman I dreamed of making a big power 5 D1 school. I thought if I kept dropping time and the rate I had been, I'd be sure to catch the attention of a Cal or ASU or Virginia. Fast forward to the end of my Junior year and I finally got fast enough to be noticed by D1 schools. Not power 5, but mid-major middle of the pack D1 schools. Time was running out; recruiting starts the summer of your Sophomore year and most of the best programs fill up around the start of senior year or even earlier, so I had to make my move, and I hadn't really gotten much better since my Junior year so I had to just go with the schools that initially noticed me. At the end of the day, I think I was actually blessed to get to go to a smaller mid-major school as opposed to a huge power 5 one. The team actually feels connected both to each other and to the coaches. I think you miss out somewhat on that if you go to a bigger program. And I can still improve, still have D1 level training and competition, and if I get fast enough, I can compete at arguably the highest level of swimming competition in the world outside Olympics and Worlds (NCAA D1 Champs).
Former DII athlete here (women’s tennis)-my personal experience with collegiate athletics is that they are demanding but worth it in the end. I approached my athletics in college as a supplement to my academics (school first!) and although the schedule was challenging at times, I think that being so busy actually helped me stay on track with my classes because I was forced to use the small spaces of free time I had for studying! That said, I can also say that I 100 percent burned out on my sport by my final season and haven’t really played at all post-college. Instead, I’ve become a runner and have absolutely fallen in love all over again with a new sport which I was able to own since I discovered it and pursued it entirely of my own volition (no coaches, parents, etc) which has been the most liberating and gratifying experience of my life. So I guess my advice to college athletes-to-be is…don’t sacrifice other aspects of your life just to make your collegiate career “work,” because you will likely leave it at the door when you graduate anyway. It can be tons of fun and you can meet some great people doing it, but you are ALWAYS more than your sport and you’ve got to remember that! Also, try running a marathon…there is no better cure for self-doubt, I promise!!!
I'm so sorry you had to put up with so many people trivializing the commitment it takes to be a D1 athlete. I was in Cal Band for two years and I thought THAT was high commitment (7 hours a week spread over 4 days, PLUS Friday noon rally and most of the game day during game weeks). Yet that's nothing compared to the time and energy a student athlete puts into their sport. I've also tutored student athletes when I was in grad school (not at Cal but another D1 school), and it was insane what they go through and what the athletics program expects of them.
As a retired D1 Swimmer (EMU 14-18), and CS graduate (now software engineer), I find your content highly relatable. Personally, I'm still swimming for fitness and pleasure with a USMS team and trying to have as much fun with it as possible. Unless there's some rule/fact I'm unaware of, you still have 2 more years of eligibility for D1 (4th year plus 1 COVID year). Are you planning to use those? If not, why not?
Glad to hear you're still swimming! And yup, you're right I still have 2 more years. As of right now, I don't have any plans to use them. In the case I decide to go for a master's degree sometime in the future I'll see if I'm able to physically and mentally get back into college swimming haha
At the end of the day, if a sport brings joy, then do it as long as it doesnt' compromise short or longterm goals. What sets swimming apart from other sports is that it is one that can last a lifetime. The relationships that I cultivated in swimming over the last 45 years are numerous and priceless. Thank you for your wisdom and research on the realities of the sport. Well done!!!!
I don't do any athletics and I was never interested. But after looking at this video, I found out how hard being a college athlete may be. The industry itself is a very hard industry to succeed in. I started to see a few games done from college athletes and I saw how hard working they all are. I hope you keep up the good work!
I am a D-1 bounce back (an ex-division 1 athlete who transferred to a division 2 school), and division 2 schools still can give out scholarships. Additionally, NAIA schools can give out scholarships. However, the amount of scholarships does go down significantly from division-to division. I would like to talk about what it’s like in a lower division school if you are interested!
Great video- I have great respect for college athletes. They really sacrifice a lot. I know many college athletes that had to do am MA degrees as they missed out a lot in terms of academics. The good news is that many professions respect college athletes and value their discipline and teamwork. So most college athletes end up doing reasonably well (at least from observations over the years).
I’m always amazed by the discipline and dedication of student athletes. It seems like you have a good next chapter ahead of things to look forward to! Are you planning on continuing swimming in any capacity just for fun going forward?
Thank you. I do want to continue swimming to some extent albeit not as intense as right now but would love to perhaps join s club and compete every once in a while
I am a current D2 athlete (cross country+indoor track+outdoor track). I have definitely noticed and experienced burnout however maybe it was how I was raised but I always knew running was just a passion not a job for the future. Thankfully my major also plays a large factor within my sport so understanding school work in aspect has become more applicable. But everything you said makes a lot of sense and I have noticed these trends with former college runners. Thankfully that is the nice thing about my sport you do not need a team or a race to just go out and run far or do a workout.
The saying “Hard work pays off” I agree with you that it’s not always the case. I’m not an athlete, however, I believe it applies to regular students too because everyone is working hard towards their major and I have a fear that I may not even get into the job that pays well because there are also many others competing for that same spot. That being said, I’m currently a freshman college and I have a long time to improve myself and find things or passion that makes my character stick out!
Absolutely! There's so much luck involved in life and random stuff. Hard work definitely increases your odds but it doesn't guarantee anything. I think you're going to do great things if you keep putting in the effort - you've got this!
Even just as a regular student with at least three other college athletes and conversing with them, I agree that college is probably where reality hits them the most. It isn't impossible to get over that hurdle but it affects everyone around you.
I love seeing your guy's thoughts and takes on this! I just wanted to say a couple of things:
1. I know I just stated the negative parts but there are many great things about being a college athlete that I can make a full video on too if that's something people would want. My college athletic experience is something I wouldn't trade for anything and I'm so happy I got to experience it.
2. IF YOU'RE LOOKING INTO COLLEGE ATHLETICS, I don't want this video to discourage you at all! If you're a high school student then by all means try your best to pursue your athletic goals and if you're already a college athlete, keep up the good work. I just wanted this video to inspire those to not completely neglect your academics and while it may be even more challenging to do well in school as well as your sport, I promise your future self will appreciate it! You can do it!
Be more straightforward, I know many students are use sports to entrance a good university including someone who love sports. It doesn’t matter. you’re right, it’s good to put more energy and time on their study and career in the future. Only 2 % of them can be Professional athletes.
I would love that
@@manifestwithlydia Why can o ly 2 percent be professional athletes..that sucks why can't mkat of them..wbat if that's they really want to do??
Please show all the positives!! I'm a senior in high school and I'm really excited to swim D3 for Luther College
Man you don't have to make anyone feel better about the information you're presenting. You have experienced what very few have. It was rewarding, but really difficult at times. That's real! The lights and glamour are for the crowd. You are doing the work. Much respect! Keep it up, and keep grinding. Make your cheese, and get your hustle on.
I'm not an athlete, but I've seen athletes in my uni and how much work they put in. Many of them have the same mindset that they won't be pursuing this as a career, but they still put in the work because they really love the sport. I thought that it's a very interesting reason to get behind, given how rigorous their schedule is. I haven't seen any of the post-college symptoms yet mainly because my friends and I are still in uni. I hope that you will be able to move forward from it because many of you are hardworking and disciplined, which are great skills to have. All the best in your future, and I can't wait to see your post college adventures! Tbh, there is a growing trend of videos recording their day and life as a working adult, which could be a potential idea once you graduate. 😀
Thank you for this comment! It's for sure a rollercoaster during college but I still wouldn't have traded it over anything
@@marcosricopeng Isn't it really depressing and discouraging tonwork and not become a professional athlete?? Isnit mostly fun and enjoyable I hope?? And why can't most of the athletes achieve their dreams..life is hard enough..
you can do something without letting someone else abuse you for profit. They are not tied together in a package.
From an ex Division I athlete, there were many days and nights in my life where I questioned if all this is worth it or not. To be honest, I still don't have the answer but being a college athlete does teach you many things that you can't learn elsewhere. On the other hand, the domestic abuse by the coaches, imposter syndrome, feeling like you are not loved amongst the team can really really really take a toll on you and might scar you for a long time. Therapy helps :)
It's for sure a double edged sword. Thank you for sharing your experience, it's nice to hear from another pov of a fellow D1 athlete
What sport did you play also if you want to what college?
Impostor syndrome? Like a character from this game Among Us? Do you guys played it a lot in college? Damn, that's so cool.
@@CJ-wh7ik Either 12 or a troll. Probably both.
"being a college athlete does teach you many things that you can't learn elsewhere" im sorry but this is plainly not true. learn an instrument, take up art, take self-defense classes. Hell, even video games can all have the capacity to establish the concept of discipline to achieve something that "has no shortcuts." impostor syndrome is also just endemic to college students regardless if that means you don't think you're as smart as everyone in your school or major, you think you don't deserve your achievements or grades, and worst of all, people self-select out of the industries they major in because of their fear of incompetence. There is really no difference between the principals that sports and music teach children and the difficulties that come along with it all ime (outside of the time it takes to "master"), although i never pursued sports in college because i went out of my way to go to a school with no division sports and my relatively low student debt thanks me for that (schools with division sports have some truly messed up monetary allocation practices that basically don't inform students that 30-60% of their tuition goes to division athletes' facilities and does not benefit or generate revenue for the educational sector of the school or impact the students in any way, unless they're athletes). The fact that college coaches can make more than 10x the median salary of professors should never EVER be acceptable.
I was a D3 swimmer for four years and I went through post career depression hard after my senior year conference meet, so I can only imagine what it's like for a D1 athlete. The silver lining is that you have a unique, unspeakable bond with thousands of other people around the world who were also college swimmers and will understand so much about you within 90 seconds of meeting you. And this includes potential employers.
To me athletics is my lifestyle and my personality. I can't imagine just dropping it one day.
@@wss33 you remain an athlete forever. You transition from playing sports to becoming a player of life. I speak on this very topic in my book🙏🏾
You could always transition into coaching in order to stay close to your sport. You could coach at the high school or college level. Or, alternatively, you could keep your competitive juices flowing by taking up another sport - like triathlons, where your swimming skills will be a huge asset.
If the job market is low on opportunities you have a excellent secondary life skill where you could always be a recreation baths attendant or even a lifeguard, plus a swimming teacher. And plenty time to train more as a swimmer. Paid full time what more could be better😂
I worked part time while in college and was tired from working, classes, lack of time for studying, etc & didn't do a lot of social in college to maintain my grades so I wondered D1 athletes how do it when their schedule is even more demanding than mine. I knew one who played hockey, in a hard major & got into medical school. Thanks for your insight video.
Working part-time is no small feat either!
A GPA that would typically get people put on academic probation just means the coach needs to "talk" to the professor/school. Look at the GPAs of D1 athletes. Most should be nowhere near a college.
I was never a college athlete, but, as an undergrad, I worked between 20-30 hrs per week while going to school. Summers, I'd work full-time. Spring break, I'd work full-time (I never went on a college spring break vacation). Every holiday I'd work 8-hrs per day, to cover the full-time workers who had the holiday off. I'd still have to get my own exercise workouts in, so that took time as well. And, unlike D1 scholarship athletes, I did NOT have access to the tutoring support and "athletes only" computer rooms and study facilities, nor did I have access to a training table. So I'd argue that my life was just as busy as a college athletes. I attended a community college prior to transferring to a 4-year university. I found that many community college students work even harder. At CC, it was not uncommon for older students to be married, have kids, work a full-time job, AND take a full load of courses.
@@fritzjackson4336 I was a tutor in college. I agree with you. Many college athletes don't care much about school. The only reason they are there is because of athletics. But there are also those athletes who do care about school. However, schools like Cal have higher academic standards and provide the opportunity of getting a world-class education. So any athlete who doesn't take full advantage of the quality education that Cal can deliver (or that any college can deliver) is a fool.
I was a D1 rower at USC and had an identity crisis after graduating as rowing was my main focus as well as my family. It was a difficult transition as I struggled with partying, working full-time and trying to maintain my training to fill the void. I believe we should have support and education during our college experience about life after college athletics. Thank you for bringing this conversation up as I feel it affects so many student-athletes. I really enjoy your videos. Best wishes for you during your transition and go Pac-12!
Thank you for watching! And yeah, there should be a system in place to help athletes in college just like there is for athletes specifically during college
I was a d1 track runner, but suffered shin splints which developed into a stress fracture in my shin bone when my injury was neglected and I was forced to continue racing and training at full intensity. Keeping up with the schedule was already difficult enough but coaches taking the time to see their athletes as a project to achieve potential rather than looking for quick results at the athletes expense is a change id like to see for collegiate athletes
preach!!!
check out @BrockKelly. He has the exact same thing you did.
Pretty accurate I think one point you missed that seems common is a radical loss of community. For 4 years we spend nearly every day partially at least with our team, we live with our teammates or other student athletes, we go to each other’s parties, we go to bars together events together, plan our futures, then first the seniors when you started leave from your team ,disappear, and your team changes then the juniors leave and you now feel that the mentors who helped you start this journey are gone, not physically but they don’t exist in the social sphere of ‘the student athlete’ but away from it.
You are one of the mentors helping the freshman both socially, studying, and in their sport, and usually career wise as well. You leave senior year being respected by your team and loving them but knowing that you won’t be as close to most of them. Of all the feuds between teams or cliques, the camaraderie that dominated your entire life while on campus is completely in the past. Many leave the area, some of the friends don’t respond when you text them, people who relied on you and who you relied on. Often people quit their sport, push into careers. The end result is that role based identity that you get by becoming a D1 student athlete after a few years feels like a distant memory of someone else, all your new friends are different etc
Oh yeah.
Identity issue seems to be one of if not THE most integral issue that faces that
Good summary
I spent my entire childhood swimming and wanted to at least swim in college. I ended up quitting swimming in high school, even though I could have continued if I really wanted to, for a variety of reasons. Eventually I found myself in a great place academically, and opportunities that I’m incredibly excited for. Even though I’m happy with where I ended up part of me always felt guilty for quitting, and this video helped me realize that I probably did make the best choice. It might seem insignificant to some people but it is something I’ve always wondered if I would regret, and now know I most likely won’t. Thank you for making this video.
Not an athlete here but it was nice to see the other side of all the luxury and privileges athletes get in their time in college. I thought athletics is something to die for
There are still plenty of things I love about being a college athlete but you're right - it's not all just fun and games though haha
Tell that to my broken back, medical bills, and unnecessary student debt !
@@anthony24790congrats! You played yourself!
I was a division 1 athlete and post undergrad I got my MSc. Honestly, grad school felt so freeing, when I didn't have to juggle workouts, games, practices, and team meetings.
I loved playing ball in college, but looking back, it was rough on mental health and physically exhausting, while the experience was something else, I'm not sure I would repeat it, and now I tell my kids if they get the chance I'm not sure the extra stress is worth it, but it's their choice if and when the time comes.
The worst part, you come from a place where you are THE guy or gal in high school and always being the best to just being another face and like you said when that hapoens the first time it really ahakes you to your soul, abusive coaching tactics and horrible fans really grinds you down when you are that young. While I wasn't a star by any means I got to play in a few games when someone got hurt, and once I completely goofed and blew an assignment, while it didn't lose the game for us, we ultimately lost, the treatment you can get from fans and students after that really messes with your psyche which can rattle you from your class work and be devastating to your social life. But most of the time you are are too young to know where or how to ask for help so you bottle it up, and it eats at you for ages.
To any young athlete going through that, it's ok to ask for help, and therapy truly helps.
The best, you do build some near unbreakable bonds with your teammates, and there are many practical lessons you learn that you won't learn anywhere else.
I just wish kids had all the information going into the NCAA so they could make informed choices based kn whats best for them personally.
Hey! Honestly your video popped up at the right time. I’m from India and a student athlete playing women’s tennis at a D1 university. Honestly I have been going through the same stuff which you spoke about and I definitely agree that not a lot of people talk about mental health for student athletes especially if your an international. I have my own UA-cam channel and possibly in the coming days would share my own story about the same! I think we all feel the same way in a lot of situations but just few talk about it. But thanks again for talking about these things and raising awareness. All the best for your journey ahead!
Thank you for sharing your experience, i think it's a topic that's definitely not talked about enough. Looking forward to seeing your video on it! Lmk when you post it :)
Practicing sports helped me a lot after college. I used to swim in high school but stopped during college, I liked my career but I found college life to be not as stimulating as I believed. When I graduated I started to notice I wasn't as fit as I was in high school and started to swim again, since that was the only type of exercise I knew how to do and I always enjoyed swimming as a hobby.
Eventually I joined a masters team and it has been mostly fun since is something I enjoy doing and is something that distracts me from work and helps me relax from other stuff going on in my life. It also has allowed me to expand my social circle and make new friends. So my advice for someone who swam competitively during college would be to keep doing it as long as they can if it's something you enjoy.
D3 swimmer here(uwosh) and it really does strike home when you realize that it's not just yourself feeling lost after your last season ends. The one thing that might've been nice to hear was that athletics, and especially performance based sports such as wrestling/swimming/diving/track&field/etc, teach very valuable lessons about working hard to achieve your goals. I translated every lesson I picked up in the pool to the academic world and my own personal life. To say that our hard work, hours on hours on hours of grinding through weights, dryland, swims, and meets amounts to nothing...well, it's just not true. It takes a lot of dedication, commitment, perseverance, and a lot of other character traits that we built up along the journey through college athletics. I'm not sure if you'll read this, but from one swammer to another, I'm proud you chose to stick it out even through covid.
Honestly thank you for making this video! I’ve been off swimming for 2 years and just got back to competitive swimming with a Masters club last year. So far I’ve been training around half of the volume you listed in the video and it was killing me, I spent so much time napping and studying leaving very little time for socializing. I always thought something I didn’t do right or people just sucked it up and got used to it and I had to set easier goals for swimming.
This video is very informing and instead of making everyone think athletes are super humans, it really shows the struggle of college athletes. I’m also a psych student and we were talking about giving up a goal whether it’s expected by others or extremely desired by yourself is very hard both physically and mentally. If it helps you in anyway, the most healthy way is to rethink about one’s value and beliefs to adjust their goals to combat post-athlete depression. I’m no expert of motivation psychology but if you want to know more I could offer you more resources!
What you said is dead on and I think a lot of student athletes experience it but not enough people talk about it. I appreciate the little tip in the end, I think it's definitely a good way to look at the whole situation
I am 63yrs old and I’m still trying to be the athlete I think I can be. Looking back and seeing what went wrong hurts but for you to say you participated in college Athletics is more than most get to say. Football and basketball where mine but sadly enough Reality hit and there was no call for a six to power forward anywhere so I set new challenges for myself and try to get better every day my new challenge is swimming it’s been a 3 years ride but my progress blows my mind. I started not knowing how to swim to being able to do a half mile to a mile in a pool in 30-55 min. So in my mind I’m a athlete , lol !!!
I think this video added great balance to the "usual" videos you make. And a necessary balance-reality needs to be a part of students future planning. Sure, going pro would be a dream for most athletes, but at 2% of the total number of athletes, people have to be realistic about it. I think the work ethic and effort put forth show after college in whatever a person chooses to do-and the dedication athletes have to put into all of their activities should put them in a better place to do better after graduation. Most excellent video!
Thank you for watching and I 100% agree. I know that college athletes are definitely more equipped to tackle the real world in terms of work ethic but it is a shame that many aren't able to utilize that to their full potential because they ignored the academic part in college.
Hi Marcos,
I have been swimming in Seville most of my life until I moved to the UK after finishing my PhD in Biotechnology. I have never been a great swimmer (only qualified for Andalusian champs), but I have always loved training! (I trained with Kiko Porcar in Alcalá for 13 years!).
I have watched some of your videos and they made me think about the tremendous effort that I had to do to combine my Bachelor/Masters and PhD while training almost everyday and how proud I am about it!
I can imagine that right now you are experiencing a post-college sadness, and you may even feel "less excited" about life in general.
But you know what? THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!! You are about to start a new life, with new adventures and challenges, you will have an amazing job!, travel to incredible places and enjoy other aspects of life more; you will have a different life now INDEED!, but you will love it as much as you loved your time as student-athlete. I still wake up at 5:30 am to train with a Masters club in the UK and do land training to improve my breastroke technique XD; and after that, I go to work and I use the "soft skills" that I acquired from swimming to be the best version of myself!! I still have fun racing and I even won a bronze in the British Nationals Masters last year!!
This is a very long post but, in a nutshell, you have remembered me how great and hard my time as a swimmer was when I was at uni and, trust me, the best time of your life is yet to come!!
Thanks for your insight into "being a D1 Cal swimmer".
All the best
Ana
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! It's so cool to see that you're still succeeding in athletics despite all the time that has passed - I aspire to be continue doing that like you when I'm older. And thank you for your kind words, they really do mean a lot and I am excited for what the future has in store for me
Nice video. I can tell you that as an employer I would love to hire a college athlete WITHOUT internship experience leaving college because athletes have one amazing skill that cannot be easily trained. And that is athletes want to WIN. When you have the mindset of a winner you are more likely to get the sale, overcome challenges, or excel in uncomfortable situations. I hire a lot of people who just do their job. It’s the people who have an overwhelming desire to win that excel in life.
So just because you don’t have internship experience leaving college does not mean employers won’t want to hire you.
it seems right in theory, but how many athletes did you actually hire and what were their relative performances?
lol please do not hire me. this is the most upper-management-ass, blind over-confidence, making-up-false-rules-for-success-out-the-ass tripe i've ever heard. you are within that 2/3 of managers that net 0 productivity or negative productivity with their employees. you also just fetishize athletes. a majority of people have at least "one amazing skill that cannot be easily trained." it is simply saddening you don't not see the same potential in non-physical stuff like skilled musicians and artists who go through identical challenges and competitiveness.
@@KirbyZhang i mean it's not a theory. it's a hypothesis likely based on limited anecdote . 守株待兔
I received a D1 scholarship for Track - it was $700. Which, at the time wasn't terrible but still wasn't great. I turned it down for a bigger scholarship at a private school. Most of my costs were covered by athletic and academic scholarships at the smaller private school - but it was a year by year scholarship, no guarantee for all four years. It also required I run Cross Country even though I was a middle distance runner. Anyway, it was incredibly difficult, even at a small school. We ran 100+ miles a week during cross country, and trained (running and lifting) probably 3 hours a day during track season. In the winter we trained for indoor track. I never had much time off between seasons. I was poor af and needed about 10,000 calories a day to maintain my already low bodyweight. Food wasn't covered by scholarship so I had to make it work - lots of pasta and cheap meat cuts. Driving home to my parents when I could and loading up on groceries. Beer. I never felt full. The schedule was a nightmare, as you indicated. Weekends were gone because meets were all over the country, so it was 2-3 hour flights or 12 hour drives to get to meets on Friday, compete on Saturday, drive back on Sunday - somehow fit homework in there where I could. Train all the next week, do it all again next weekend. I was injured my junior year, couldn't return for my senior year. Lost my scholarship, but by then I was kind of happy about it. Borrowed the last years tuition, finished school. The competitive nature and time management skills launched me into a successful career of getting money. I also carried my love for exercise into new areas as I aged. I'm 35 now and I lift weights to stay active, running and lifting have a lot of similarities as far as mental toughness goes. I know a ton of dudes that got done with their sports career and just got fat and lazy. I can't blame them, a lifetime of constant work takes it's toll and it's easy to want to just call it quits and "retire". It helped me to just keep finding areas to compete and "win".
Nice to hear that despite all the downfalls you've gotten up and now you're thriving! Thanks for sharing, I aspire to be as active when I'm older haha
I can’t believe how much I can relate with this video. So glad you made this! I didn’t think anyone else felt this way!!
Thank you for taking the time to talk about this! I have many swimmer friends two of whom goes to Cornell and Columbia, they all say the same things and no one seems to understand. Sure there are many positive sides of being a student-athlete, but just because you guys do a great job of going through all these with a happy face, the majority doesn't seem to understand the negatives sides.
I was a D3 hammer thrower (track and field) and ended up earning D3 All American. Graduating hit hard on multiple levels. I feel like individual sports like track and probably swimming are a bit different because the people on the team are doing it more because they love the sport. Like I would look forward to track practices, something that never happened to me when I was playing football in highschool. But that makes it harder to leave behind. I tried to compete after college, but I'm not good enough to be "professional" and the small, infrequent meets in my area have little competition where it is pretty meaningless to go. Since I'm not trying to qualify for anything, its basically just paying someone to measure your throws, something I could do on my own if I wanted. I still throw from time to time, but throwing alone is not the same as practicing with your best friends. It's unfortunate because after graduation, you're never really able to replicate the comradery you had with your teammates.
I certainly can understand the challenges of being a college athlete. I wrestled at the D-3 level for my first 2 years of college, and it's very demanding. I can only imagine how much more demanding it would be at the D-1 level. So I can understand why it's so tough to succeed in both sports and academics.
I was a runner in college. It wasn't fun, it was a job. And you are in as much competition with your teammates as kids from other schools. Everyone basically just does their own thing and there is little camaraderie.
Hey me to im a runner and im from the first year and yeah im experiencing alot of mental issues because we practice to monday through saturday and i felt the struggle is real and my academic aint doing to well to be honest i even ask myself if i should quit the sport after this semester
Quitting my sport at a D1 school when I was 18 was probably a life saver in the sense that I was so miserable, dreaded practice (i.e. the coach's "methods"), and had been so closely identified with the sport for years. My life opened up, I discovered interests that weren't on the radar in H.S., and regained lost weight and then some. I would experience a love-hate relationship with basketball for the rest of college as I changed teams and schools two more times, suffered a low back injury, and repeated the cycle of leaving and then making a comeback. I know that the less complicated jocks thought I was weird, but I'm 68 now, swim laps 3-4 times per week, and apply the grit of sport to my artistic endeavors. It was hard ultimately to let go of something I'd put so much time into while hearing others (try to) persuade me to play again. Had I had a different, more understanding and humane, but still challenging coach that first year, things might have turned out differently since I improved so much physically between my freshman and sophomore years even though I'd taken five months off, but I didn't and they didn't. We make choices that can send us into unknown directions, but that is how life is so much of the time anyway. If you're running down the court as a fifth-year senior wondering why you're still doing this, it shows and it's time to explore the many interesting things the world has to offer.
AWESOME video! There are so many great points here. It's so true that many student-athletes are making dangerous compromises and missing out on top majors, high grades, or prestigious internships for short-term athletic gains over long-term career gains. "Amateur" sports have become so competitive that we have more "athlete-students" than "student-athletes". Athletic recruiting seems kinda foolish when those athletes can't take full advantage of the academic opportunities.
That's what I love about this channel: it shows the process & life of pursuing a valuable & challenging major like EECS at a top school while balancing top-level varsity athletics. I think this channel could have a bright future with a pivot to tech content 😉
Thank you again! We'll see where the content of this channel pivots towards haha
I was a female D1 swimmer who received a full, four-year scholarship for swimming. This was decades ago, before there was anything even remotely resembling "professional swimming." I was also a distance swimmer, who swam in one of the toughest (i.e. most yardage) programs in the country at that time (pre-college). Yes, I sacrificed my entire childhood. But college was the reward. When I graduated college, I moved on to receiving my master's at 24 summa cum laude. Got married, backpacked across Europe for a year, worked professionally and had kids (lots). I still swim every day, but it doesn't define who I am, when it sure used to! I do it to remain healthy and b/c I love it.
But now, this seeminly never-ending "professional swimming" has become a thing and so many swimmers compete far too long. We used to understand that at 22, you graduate and life goes on. You use the same unrenlenting discipline you developed in swimming and apply that to your career, family, whatever.
Yep. Me and my male swim friends who were Olympic level couldn't get scholarships whereas many females who just started swimming recently and were horrible got full rides. Thank you Title 9
@@kevinl8440 Well, that was not my experience at all. The men and women got the same, based on performance, etc.
@@purselmer5931 No they didn't. Half of my team were world record holders and Olympic gold medalists and no one got a full ride. Vice even did a show how Title 9 completely decimated all mens college sports except for football and basketball
So I’m not a D1 athlete yet but I’ll share my opinion anyways! I honestly don’t know what’s keeping me in the sport anymore, but there is just this little fire (which often disappears and then comes back) in me that is basically saying “are you going to make it or not, there is a way to find out but if you don’t push yourself -you don’t get to see the outcome”. The special moments, the adrenaline as well! Maybe we “the humans” as animals-we like having this urge to compete and be the best but I agree with you… It’s hard to keep up all of this shit together, we feel like our identity is based on the sport we do, and if the sport disappears for some reason we lose our identity! We don’t have a purpose anymore!
There is that question as well- did I managed to lost 5+ years on a sport that I didn’t managed to do at pro level? Is this a waste of time? What could’ve happened if I just lived my teen years like a normal teen without being so competitive and stuff?
It’s really hard to identify why we’re doing it or it’s just because we’re scared that “the waste of time” part is not going to come if I just keep going no matter if I like it or not? Scared of transition/ getting to know a different lifestyle? Idk anymore but maybe that’s meant to happen? That’s what’s written in our books! Thank you for reading, hope you have a good day! Don’t give up as well- there are good and bad moments!
The video quality is insane, an awesome production once again 🔥👌Thank you for shedding some light on this, I never knew that college athletes had it that rough to that extent. I really think that information like this should be sensitized more to high school athletes so that they can figure out thoroughly their college plans.🔥👊
Thank you and I completely agree with your point!
Great video topic Marcos. I'm glad you have a platform to talk about the "depressing shit", because it does exist, and this is fantastic for raising awareness of the subject. Thank you for sharing your experience :)
Thank you for watching!
Great video! My parents were so disappointed when I quit D1 swimming after my sophomore year. Honestly it was one of the best decision I made for my life and career, as I was able to network and do internships while working in my major. Swimming is a great sport, but it's not a long term career for most.
Marcos descubrí tu canal hace un par de meses y no puedo estar más identificado contigo y con tu estilo de vida.Soy futbolista amateur y estudiante de medicina y te agradezco un montón que hayas hablado de este tema tan tabú y a la vez tan necesario que a veces evitamos los deportistas , me has ayudado a clarificar muchas ideas . Te lo agradezco de corazón enserio.
From a former division 1 sec swimmer: I got a degree I could have got at the 8th grade level. I worked so hard from 5 years old until 22 years old that I didn't do much of anything for the next 20 years due to burn out. Now have a great job and life, but still regret ever being a competitive swimmer. It did absolutely 0 good in life except make me miss 20 years of it.
I am currently a division 2 swimmer and it is just as bad as division 1 as it seems from this video. we train so much and I also had to switch majors so I had more time to do my sport and things I needed to do outside of school and swimming so I would not go insane. Thank you for making this video, I hope more people understand the struggles now
Didn't know that, thank you for sharing!
Suffering from this every time an athletic or other project has ended. Thing is to find another goal, another project and as time goes on, you learn to deal with the downer afterwards. What sports teaches you foremost is to deal with the setbacks along the way and to prevail. Good luck to you on your future endeavours.
The starting over part is something I'm struggling with right now. I golf and I only played 2 years in a community College but I've been playing since I was 3 I'm a little lost right now and trying to figure out what I would like to do. It's surreal knowing I can play this game for the rest of my life but not professionally. The change in mindset from competition to hobby is very difficult.
@@JakezillagfwIf you love golf and have deep passion towards the sport you can keep on striving to become a pro or you can work in a department related to the golf industry
Old lady at 7:30 is right, Evans Hall is a top 3 ugliest building on Cal's campus.
I was full ride at Cal for track and cross country ('10-'15) and experienced all of these things. The post-collegiate identity crisis is real!
What was your 5k pr?
Great analysis, as always. I really love your perspective on this matter. Being a student athlete sometimes is draining and everything. Sometimes you feel like giving up and quitting because it will be too much at some point given the acads and rigorous trainings. But what I love about it is that it created a foundation in me in which I can still use now like time management, discipline and gratitude which are just some of the benefit. But being productive juggling between studies and being an athlete really paid off in some matter. Plus the experience you'll have will never amount to any denominations the world can offer, it is yours and will always be yours until the end. :)
Absolutely! It's tough but the trade-off for me (and looks like for you too) is definitely worth it! Just important to find that balance
so good to watch and hear things like those you’ve said, Marco!
i’m a brazilian tennis player starting my student-athlete career this fall and my mindset is simply like yours. I think every single thing we do in life should be filled with passion and effort. otherwise, why would we be doing that, right?! even if we know realistically talking what our chances are.
I really appreciate your videos, stats and also your personal information, because learning with people who passed through what we’re dreaming with is the best way. no doubt on that.
keep doing this great work and i maybe we can meet one day and talk and share experiences about this awesome world that sports/study is!
take care buddy.
Thank you for your kind words and I wish you all the best in your athletic career - it's going to be the toughest but most rewarding years for sure. Just make sure you're doing it because you want to not because you have to. Hope to meet you some day!
The whole post sports depression thing is tough. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me I already have gone through that in a way and understand and value my time as a college athlete even more now. I had a lot of stuff happen my senior high school season that essentially almost screwed over my shot of getting any scholarships and almost robbed me of my chance of competing collegiately. At the end of my senior season I had no offers and virtually no colleges were even interested in giving me a spot at first. I remember just feeling so down because the one thing that I had spent years of my life dedicated to was gone in an instant. But then I found a coach who was willing to give me a spot, and am now finishing up my first collegiate track season at the D3 level. I know that I won't run forever, so I just make sure to savor the time that I do have even more, the little moments in practice or at a meet. Thinking of starting my own YT channel next year too, because I think seeing what we athletes go through on a daily basis is pretty fascinating. Great video, definitely subbing!
Thanks for sharing your own experience - reach out to me once you start that channel, I would love to see it! Thank you for the sub!
Thank you so much for making this video! I'm a senior going to attend Ohio State in the fall. There were times throughout this year when I've experienced burnout moments. COVID especially increased my thoughts of quitting my club team. It's been school and swimming over and over for me and I really never had time to do other activities than swim. Seeing the schedule of college athletes is just crazy but the amount of dedication you have inspires me. You've earned a new subscriber!! Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks so much! You're future is going to be bright in sure of it - keep working hard you're going to do great things!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and providing insight for others. Even if most people aren’t college athletes, it’s nice to learn about what you and so many others have experienced.
Of course, thank you for watching!
Current D1 volleyball player in my second year… and this is one of the most relatable videos on the internet. We always watch the best parts of these “what i do in a day as a D1 athlete” but never their real emotions and feelings. Even on my own channel if I’m having a bad day while filming I never share it to my audience but I think it is important to start showing that part of my days too. Great video :)!
100% agree. Thanks so much for watching!
as an athlete myself, yet I'm still in highschool this video is honestly very insightful!!
thank you for watching!
First time seeing a video and hit helped me a lot. I'm age 21 and grew up in gymnastics from age 4 (adopted in Ukraine and raised in US). I did academy gymnastics and spent little time outside classes to get to know friends in school. I grew up wanting to go to Big Ten school for college gymnastics and (who knows, right?) Olympic. This school has Olympian as coach. But I got severely beat up as a 16 year old gymnast from older guys at school on a summer night wanting to have fun punching the overly muscular abs of a gymnast. They worked me over for a long time and changed my life. I transitioned into weight training and bodybuilding starting a few weeks later after I recovered enough. I spent last 2 years of high school leaving more and more out of gymnastics and more and more into body transformation (and stupidly training my 8 pack to take insanely hard punches). As you say about finances my mom (adoptive parents divorced when I was age 10) we couldn't afford my dream school and by then gymnastics was more or less a dead dream. I had built huge and heavy quads and 14 years of gymnastics gave me some joint issues. I then went to community college and that spring 2020 the pandemic hit and I withdrew. I'm now working in construction and haven't gone back to school. This video helped me not be depressed about failing to be a college athlete and what happens after. Gymnastics is like swimming in there not being a life-long opportunity other than coaching (coaches are great btw). Thanks Marcos and I now subscribe to your channel. Anton
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad this video helped change your mindset. As I'm transitioning out of my college athletics years, I am starting to realize there is so much more to life and what may seem like the whole world, if you take a step back, isn't really that meaningful. It seems like you have overcome that and now living a healthy and successful life - salute to you! Keep pushing as the better things are yet to come
@@marcosricopeng Thanks.I think my identity all my life was being a gymnast. It was all I knew from far back as I can remember. Somehow I also got recognized for being able to do a lot of pull ups and any abdominal exercise. In high school I did the best at pull ups and sit ups and rope climb. Leaving gymnastics was hard but I think my joints had enough so I now think college gymnastics might not have happened anyway. Pandemic hit my freshman year of college and so now trying to figure out what I want to do. I'm enjoying working in construction and love working with my hands. I know college is not for everyone. For me going to college was for gymnastics but didn't think what would happen after college. Thanks for your encouragement. Anton
Hey Marcos ,
Just found your channel and I can seriously relate to you and your content even though I didn’t get the chance to swim in college. I swam competitively for 13 years and then once I graduated high school it just stopped all of a sudden . I had no idea what to do for a little while . Years of hard work for no end result . I had the post olympics depression you mentioned for several months . I want you to know that it does get better . The “ depressing shit “ will go away . As much as I hate to admit it swimming isn’t the most important thing in your life. It took me a while to realize that. It sounds like you just finished your last season and are about to graduate . Don’t try and get rid of swimming super fast if you can . It messed me up when I did that and left for college . I went from 100 to 0. Gradually fade it out ( if you want to ) . I found myself missing it within 2 weeks and didn’t have access to a pool . Honestly I would try find a way to keep swimming in your life at least until your ready to move on to something else other . You have been swimming for so long .That’s what helped me . I started coaching swimming at my old pool with little kids and found that it seriously helped my mindset.I still have swim in my schedule but in a different way . I would say find something to keep you going and busy, (gym, pool, running etc ) it works to keep your mind away from the reality that your done with swimming in college .I wish you the best and will continue to watch your videos .
Absolutely! I'm still swimming quite regularly and working out, it's just weird how everything seems to be over, even though it isn't haha Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!
Honestly, I love my craft so much all the stress and work is worth it. Even if it doesn't make money or if I don't get a scholarship, I just want to play and be around people who love it as much as me. I'm very excited for college and hope I play :)
Looking into running for D1 track in collage I have herd the thoughts and seen the statistics of what the reality is. I understand that everyone else want's to be the best as well as I. This is incredibly insightful for what it is. It has not encouraged me less or made me second guess my choices, rather give me insight on what I should expect. Thank you!
My med school class had a large amount of college athletes (and one former NFL defensive lineman). The guy in charge of admissions loved/loves their ability to manage their time. It also helps explain why medical schools have the best intramural sports teams.
As an example, the guy that sat behind me was a wrestler in college. He coached wrestling in an underserved part of our state to the point that he documented over 400 hours of volunteer time on top of his studies. They took outsized roles in student government, including our class president (a former safety for a DI football team).
I was just a nerd in my early years. I never saw the value in sports. I still believe leadership opportunities are present outside of sports, things like starting clubs, volunteer work, job experience, etc. However, seeing so many of my friends go from college sports to medicine softened me by showing the time management ability they had. I have encouraged my son to play sports, and it has been invaluable in teaching time management the last couple years.
This was very real and accurate!
Fantastic Blog!
As well, this sheds light on why there isn't a lot of "party" blogs on the net from "jocks".
Wishing you all the best!
Thank you!!
real chad right here, keep up the grind!
I did D1 track and cross country and going into it I always knew I probably wouldn't be making a career out of it (besides not being good enough, its like you said, some sports have no money in them anyways). But the friends, no the family, I made from running will last me the rest of my life. I was never in the military facing life or death with my team, but I imagine the way we bonded over living together and going through the same hardships is very similar to how ex military mates usually have that "I would die for you" mentality. Even if I ended up not getting a degree and dropped out, I consider that money well spent and I wouldn't trade back any of it for the world
I never thought about the 'low points' that comes after being a college athlete. I can appreciate all the hard physical work for your sport and the juggling of your time to fulfill the academics as well. Thanks for this video.
oh I love the ideas you're 1. PRE-LIFE, 2. PRESENT LIFE & 3. POS LIFE. Love it.
Si que madrugas. Buen día y un excelente entrenamiento. Desde, Guadalajara, México. Saludos, Marco.
May the force be with you!.
Jajaja sisi, gracias por el apoyo desde México! Un saludo
I just finished up my college hockey career and I am happy I was ready to be done. However, I still miss it from time to time here as it has only been a few weeks since the end of my senior year season. This video I really relate to, I was so busy with college athletics that being in mechanical engineering left me no time for much other activity. I noticed after the season how much more time I have as it's the first time no off-season where work starts up right away for next year.
I feel you completely. All of a sudden I have so much more time which I love but I also miss being disciplined and working out everyday. I think it's an adjustment we'll slowly get used to
This was an interesting video. I am the parent of a division 1 swimmer. The identity thing is very real. It is important for parents to reinforce the idea of life outside the pool. However, the pressure to swim through the summer is intense. Luckily, my swimmer can have 3 weeks of observation in his field before he has to return to campus to train for Summer. He has never held a real job because he is always in the pool. You are very right about the lack of money in swimming, especially for the men. Unless you are in the top 10 or already have Olympic trial cuts, the money will not be what one thinks they are worth. On the positive side, the benefits of “team” can be great.
I know as a high schooler who did long distance, 2 practices a day, 6 days a week, 70+ miles a week, when I decided not to continue in college even though I could have gone to a d1 school, I suffered that identity crisis majorly. I realized how much more time my peers had spent figuring out what they wanted for their futures, and had academic and career goals already in place. Now 5 years later, I feel like i'm barely on the same ground as them. But I definitely don't regret anything. Everyone's experience is different, and I still feel like I made the most out of my time so far.
70 miles a week? Damn bro. I run about 40. I dont think i could do 2 practices. My deal is that i could get an okay scholarship at my school for track, but im not going to go crazy in track. I really enjoy running, but i could never do it professionally. Especially since im going into computer engineering.
Super interesting video to see a D1 perspective from my own D2 perspective after graduating undergrad. I think we experience some of the same things, but on a different scale since for most of my team and teammates we couldn’t afford to do a major we didn’t like since we don’t exactly aspire to keep going after college. However it’s really interesting to see how I still swim now in my PhD program and how much my goals and perspective changed since college. More focus on enjoying the practices, meeting people, swimming for fun! It feels more like when I was a kid again as I have gotten older because I know I’m not going to go to the Olympics and my career path is pretty much set so I strive for working out, staying in shape, and just having a good time.
Love that mindset you've adopted, looking to think the same in the years to come!
Energy you spend thinking/studying and energy you spend physically active are the same thing. Although I'm not an athlete, I can imagine how hard it is for athletes have to both perform and study. It's exhausting after you work out, and I can't even manage to focus well in my studies if I work out too hard
Post-Olympic Depression is a very common thing that many athletes go through. It is hard knowing that as an athlete you won't be an athlete forever. ♾
yeah bro i completely agree with pretty much everything from this video. I myself am an endurance runner athlete and I'm 15 right now and thinking about my future in the sport. Obviously the system from where you are (I assumed America) and where i am (UK) is different but it still has its similarities. I look forward to seeing some more videos like this, it was quite eye-opening! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching! And yeah it's a bit different America from the rest of the world as "college athletics" isn't really a thing elsewhere. But good luck to your future athletic career, you've got this!
@@marcosricopeng thank you, it means a lot!
You have to LOVE your sport to make it all four years or be an absolute grinder. Something else people don't realize is that it's impossible to do homework/study on game days. You're often too nervous or pumped up to even think about sitting down and doing an assignment for more than 10 minutes.
Students start out with a major outside of their field of interest and maybe take some extra courses to try to move into their field of interest after graduating. If you have exceptional soft skills, it's easier to move from one field to another.
You should probably write a book about this!
I met someone in college who was a competitive swimmer on top of life guarding, but got to the point where she only did it for the tuition. She loved swimming before, but it eventually became more of a job. At least, that’s how it seemed to me
Man I am on the verge of going D1 but really I already have my tuition paid for being a student (thank you Posse Foundation) and my parents have been saying the same thing concerning joining the cross country team. My main thing is that being part of the sport would (hopefully) give me a group of guys to hang out with and motivation to care for my health and continue to stay fit. Especially since the school I am going to is such a big 'party' school, I hope that I can have a good influence in my life to stay away from such stuff. Plus I really love the sport, but yea I am going to be majoring in Economics to hopefully become a corporate lawyer so my schedule is going to be packed. Especially since I want to do research and take on internships. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Good luck with that if you are looking for friends in college athletics. Maybe CC is better than track
I run D1 cross and track and am in a stem major. It of course varies from athlete to athlete but being on the team has been one of the best things that has happened to me, and I don’t feel like I’m overworked. Running tends to take up less time than other sports which helps with that. Good luck man
Joining the cross country club is a viable option to find friends without as much of a time commitment
As an artist, I can relate to this to some degree. I never wanted to go to college just to end up being a teacher or a coach or luck out and get into a large company. Graduating during COVID and not being able to find any jobs forced me to make a change to be a more independent artist who has to have a second job to support myself.
Bro, you nailed it in this video. I was a college athlete in track and was an All American at nationals. It was super difficult realizing that I had spent so much time and energy into it that I wasn’t really ready for that part of my life to end. Thankfully I got married pretty soon after college and that really sped me up to accomplish things in my career.
I play a sport out of passion in an association in my city. All of us do not play professionally, but we invest a fair amount of time for that. Like trainings, league game days as well as tournaments. Apart from that, I have to go jog and lift and some other athletic trainings outside of the official training, so that I can perform better. That‘s why I watch a lot of daily routine of student athlete videos about your time management.
For me, it‘s easier & clearer that I will never be a professional athlete for that. But I am willing to invest so much energy, time & money for that bcs sport & fitness are already a part of me. Thank you for sharing your struggles with us. ❤ At the end of the day, the sport is fun and it is like natural to people for us, meanwhile to some people, it is a torture and they are struggling just doing it
I think in all that we do, sacrificies that we make, makes us to be what we want to be. As we aspire to be the best, often times, we change (or lower) our standards on some aspects to be greater at another.
Shifting my goals to achieve my ultimate goal of finishing college started in high school as I tried out in many sports and many other things. I played volleyball from the intermediate years, trying out for the high school team, and, being rejected multiple times, I finally made it during sophomore year!
I know in the future I would not make it playing volleyball in college, but it looked good in my college applications! This gave me a very good personal statement (in my opinion) that lead me to academic scholarships-nothing to do with sports!
Once I got in college, without volleyball (or sports), I switched to another avenue to help me go through college debt free-which was the military.
Without the determination, stamina, endurance and being focused during my high school years in volleyball, I would have had a difficult time adjusting to this new world-I say, different kind of sport.
At the end, I finished school and went on to get my MBA. So not bad for having the sports background.
It’s tough out in the real world, so whatever we may learn or what we may “change” our ways to, it’s not the end of things. It may be just a way to make you better-to step back and look at it at a larger scale-how this would shape you.
Crazy journey and congratulations on what I would say a pretty successful life! Very insightful to hear about your experience, thank you for sharing
I really appreciated your honesty, and your very circumspect understanding of what it means to be a college athlete. I was a gymnast in college, and I was on a full scholarship, fortunately, but I also was under the pressures that you’re under, and opted to spend more time on studies than the athletics. I realized I was never going to be an Olympic gymnast and did after putting studies before gymnastics become a doctor. I
Actually, did this almost on a subconscious level. It wasn’t that intentional it just sort of evolved in that direction but today I’m glad that I did put the studies before the athletics.
Living, a very comfortable life, semi retired physician
Phillip Silverstein M.D,
Brilliant video, as an ex-swimmer in my school years, i completely agree with everything you said!
Another masterpiece! Congratulations for discussing such an interested topic, the majority of people don't know about. A exellent filmed, edited and detailed video about "behind the scenes" ,can I say, life of a student athlete. Hope you all the best in the future, continue chasing your dreams Marcos. Best from Greece!
Thanks so much!!! Would love to visit Greece one day
im an highschool rightnow and at the same time a badminton player so it is often difficult to and confusing on what you do and when come home tired after a long day of practice you never have the motivation to study or do any type of work you want to chill and I really agree with you sir Marcos
I'm from Malaysia and buddy you are such a strong person, I am nobody besides your subscriber haha but just feel like wanna give you some advices, buddy you got this I know it's hard but make your dreams come true, be strong you got this surely I know you can, sometimes it's okay to not be okay but you got to keep on going in life problems will stay but we must keep on going, a big support from Asia namely Malaysia, keep on doing videos about your life I'm here to support your journey! As Tom Holland said in Spider-Man Far From Home "it will be okay" ! Come on you got this my friend! Keep on going big love from Malaysia and if one day you feel like wanna come here and eat our foods do hit me up ya haha it's a joke but who knows, you got this my friend!😊 (pardon my grammar I'm trying haha)
Hey Muhammad, thanks so much for your kind words! You're not nobody and your grammar is perfect my dude. I love how caring this community is, thank you for the support it really does mean a lot!
@@marcosricopeng most welcomeee! Thankyou for saying that cause im in the process of trying to improve my english haha, we are here to support your journey brotha! Make your dreams come true🤘🏻
A correction, NCAA Division I is not the only level allowed to give aid for athletics. Division 2, NAIA, and most NJCAA (junior college) programs can give aid. The amount they are able to give depends on the institution and its governing body, but in theory, they can give aid. It is still a tiny amount of athletes who receive athletic aid, but it is a correction I wanted to point out in case someone is looking into competing in colleges.
Thanks for the clarification!
Oh sweet boy you don’t actually believe Ivies don’t give athletes scholarships do you? They just don’t call them that but they magically “find” other money.
Great video and indeed Harsh fact that lots of people know but don't talk about it. Great effort has been put by uni athletes into the sports and if some one puts that amount of efforts into any academic subject if they are inspired to do so, they may have a better post-uni life.
Well said and is why I'm a firm believer that everyone should get into athletics, albeit maybe not as intensely as D1, to experience hard work and determination
I think this is one of your best videos. I also went to Berkeley in the 90's, and I am also from Spain (Canary Islands), although I was born in Taiwan... Berkeley was really tough for me not only because it was extremely competitive, but also the language barrier, and the educational system was quite different. I always thought that athletes were pampered because they had special section/diet in the dining hall, and also they had study time with available tutors.... But I guess we were all in the same boat. It was tough!
Wow crazy how similar our life is haha Spanish, Taiwanese, and Berkeley. Sounds just about Berkeley to be hard for everyone, regardless of what you do haha go bears!
Thanks for giving the real lowdown on your life in college. You could be helping many high school athletes to be more realistic about athletics at the university level!
Thank you for watching! I don't want to discourage high-school athletes from pursuing college athletics but rather inspire them to not give up their academics to pursue athletics
Amazing video. I am a student ahtlete at Boston Universiity and i struggle with the same things.
Im thankful that there are people who finally understand what we go through.
Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Exactly why I decided to choose d3 over d1, I’ll still hopefully have time to enjoy my life.
I'm currently finishing my senior year of high school and competing in club swimming. When I was a lower classman I dreamed of making a big power 5 D1 school. I thought if I kept dropping time and the rate I had been, I'd be sure to catch the attention of a Cal or ASU or Virginia. Fast forward to the end of my Junior year and I finally got fast enough to be noticed by D1 schools. Not power 5, but mid-major middle of the pack D1 schools. Time was running out; recruiting starts the summer of your Sophomore year and most of the best programs fill up around the start of senior year or even earlier, so I had to make my move, and I hadn't really gotten much better since my Junior year so I had to just go with the schools that initially noticed me. At the end of the day, I think I was actually blessed to get to go to a smaller mid-major school as opposed to a huge power 5 one. The team actually feels connected both to each other and to the coaches. I think you miss out somewhat on that if you go to a bigger program. And I can still improve, still have D1 level training and competition, and if I get fast enough, I can compete at arguably the highest level of swimming competition in the world outside Olympics and Worlds (NCAA D1 Champs).
Former DII athlete here (women’s tennis)-my personal experience with collegiate athletics is that they are demanding but worth it in the end. I approached my athletics in college as a supplement to my academics (school first!) and although the schedule was challenging at times, I think that being so busy actually helped me stay on track with my classes because I was forced to use the small spaces of free time I had for studying! That said, I can also say that I 100 percent burned out on my sport by my final season and haven’t really played at all post-college. Instead, I’ve become a runner and have absolutely fallen in love all over again with a new sport which I was able to own since I discovered it and pursued it entirely of my own volition (no coaches, parents, etc) which has been the most liberating and gratifying experience of my life. So I guess my advice to college athletes-to-be is…don’t sacrifice other aspects of your life just to make your collegiate career “work,” because you will likely leave it at the door when you graduate anyway. It can be tons of fun and you can meet some great people doing it, but you are ALWAYS more than your sport and you’ve got to remember that! Also, try running a marathon…there is no better cure for self-doubt, I promise!!!
I'm so sorry you had to put up with so many people trivializing the commitment it takes to be a D1 athlete. I was in Cal Band for two years and I thought THAT was high commitment (7 hours a week spread over 4 days, PLUS Friday noon rally and most of the game day during game weeks). Yet that's nothing compared to the time and energy a student athlete puts into their sport. I've also tutored student athletes when I was in grad school (not at Cal but another D1 school), and it was insane what they go through and what the athletics program expects of them.
As a retired D1 Swimmer (EMU 14-18), and CS graduate (now software engineer), I find your content highly relatable. Personally, I'm still swimming for fitness and pleasure with a USMS team and trying to have as much fun with it as possible. Unless there's some rule/fact I'm unaware of, you still have 2 more years of eligibility for D1 (4th year plus 1 COVID year). Are you planning to use those? If not, why not?
Glad to hear you're still swimming! And yup, you're right I still have 2 more years. As of right now, I don't have any plans to use them. In the case I decide to go for a master's degree sometime in the future I'll see if I'm able to physically and mentally get back into college swimming haha
At the end of the day, if a sport brings joy, then do it as long as it doesnt' compromise short or longterm goals. What sets swimming apart from other sports is that it is one that can last a lifetime. The relationships that I cultivated in swimming over the last 45 years are numerous and priceless. Thank you for your wisdom and research on the realities of the sport. Well done!!!!
Couldn’t have said it better
I don't do any athletics and I was never interested. But after looking at this video, I found out how hard being a college athlete may be. The industry itself is a very hard industry to succeed in. I started to see a few games done from college athletes and I saw how hard working they all are. I hope you keep up the good work!
Yeah I don't think the negative aspects are really talked about enough. But thank you!
I am a D-1 bounce back (an ex-division 1 athlete who transferred to a division 2 school), and division 2 schools still can give out scholarships. Additionally, NAIA schools can give out scholarships. However, the amount of scholarships does go down significantly from division-to division. I would like to talk about what it’s like in a lower division school if you are interested!
That would be a super interesting conversation!
nice framing and editing you did for this vid! well done :)
Thank you!!
Great video- I have great respect for college athletes. They really sacrifice a lot. I know many college athletes that had to do am MA degrees as they missed out a lot in terms of academics. The good news is that many professions respect college athletes and value their discipline and teamwork. So most college athletes end up doing reasonably well (at least from observations over the years).
Absolutely, definitely many good takeaways from being a college athlete. Thank you for your comment!
I’m always amazed by the discipline and dedication of student athletes. It seems like you have a good next chapter ahead of things to look forward to! Are you planning on continuing swimming in any capacity just for fun going forward?
Thank you. I do want to continue swimming to some extent albeit not as intense as right now but would love to perhaps join s club and compete every once in a while
I am a current D2 athlete (cross country+indoor track+outdoor track). I have definitely noticed and experienced burnout however maybe it was how I was raised but I always knew running was just a passion not a job for the future. Thankfully my major also plays a large factor within my sport so understanding school work in aspect has become more applicable. But everything you said makes a lot of sense and I have noticed these trends with former college runners. Thankfully that is the nice thing about my sport you do not need a team or a race to just go out and run far or do a workout.
The saying “Hard work pays off” I agree with you that it’s not always the case. I’m not an athlete, however, I believe it applies to regular students too because everyone is working hard towards their major and I have a fear that I may not even get into the job that pays well because there are also many others competing for that same spot. That being said, I’m currently a freshman college and I have a long time to improve myself and find things or passion that makes my character stick out!
Absolutely! There's so much luck involved in life and random stuff. Hard work definitely increases your odds but it doesn't guarantee anything. I think you're going to do great things if you keep putting in the effort - you've got this!
Such an interesting perspective, thanks for sharing Marcos! Good luck to all my fellow students out there!!
Thank you!
Thank you for uploading new video
Thank you for watching the new video hehe
Loved so much this type of content!
Even just as a regular student with at least three other college athletes and conversing with them, I agree that college is probably where reality hits them the most. It isn't impossible to get over that hurdle but it affects everyone around you.
Thank you so much for uploading this!
Thank you for watching!