Playing in Division I college athletics is not as glamorous as it may seem.
Sure, it's fun to travel and flattering to be recognized on the streets and asked to sign autographs, but these things come at a price: a tremendous amount of pressure, hard work and dedication.
Student athletes are challenged by physical demands, the media spotlight and enormous pressure from coaches and the UNM community.
Senior basketball player Melissa Forest said there is always pressure to win, especially for teams that have been successful in the past.
"We made it to the Sweet 16 last year," Forest said. "So we will be expected to make it again this year."
Forest said being in the spotlight all the time takes some getting used to.
"Everyone's always watching us," she said. "It's flattering - most female teams don't have that."
Although they say it is heart-wrenching to hear thousands of people groan after shooting an air ball or turning it over, most student athletes agree that the hardest thing to conquer is time management.
"I live with my planner," she said. "I have to plan time to study and I have to plan time to sleep."
Forest said she has to plan her schedule weeks in advance.
Forest is enrolled in 18 credit hours this semester and has practice everyday at The Pit from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Two days a week Forest is on campus for nearly 12 hours.
"After practice you're tired and you want to go home, take a shower and go to bed," she said. "But you can't because you usually have class."
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Junior Jason Bigott is a member of the UNM track and field team, and is also an Air Force ROTC cadet.
Bigott said between ROTC, class, homework and training, his greatest obstacle is finding time to get things done.
Last fall, Bigott also worked at a part-time job.
"I try my hardest to fit in school work during the day between classes and on weekends," he said. "But during season, you don't even have weekends."
During the season, student-athletes are usually competing on weekends and on the road for days at a time.
But weekends aren't the only breaks athletes lose. While most students are relaxing during holidays and spring break, Lobo teams are still at work.
"We never go home for Thanksgiving," junior skier Helena Woodrow said.
Two years ago the skiers spent Thanksgiving in Colorado and last year the team was in Taos.
Forest said the women's basketball team took two or three days off during winter break in 2002. She said she usually gets to spend holidays with her family because they are only about five hours away. However, that is not the case for every player.
"Everyone finds someone to spend the holidays with," she said.
Forest said the life of a college athlete is probably comparable to the life of a full-time student and parent.
"Athletes don't have it harder than the average person with a full-time job and a family," she said.
Forest said what separates athletes from other students is the physical demand.
"You push yourself to physical limits everyday," she said. "That is definitely the biggest difference between student-athletes and full-time working students."
In order to compete, athletes must maintain a GPA determined by their coaches. Junior tennis player Tiffany Robertson said it is difficult to keep up with schoolwork when she is traveling to tournaments.
Robertson said the tennis team is expected to keep a 3.2 GPA. If a team member drops below a 3.0, the individual is required to attend study hall.
"It's either school or tennis," Robertson said. "I don't have time to hang out with friends and relax."
Robertson, who is originally from New Zealand, said she came to the United States because the opportunities for athletes are better here.
"I love playing tennis," she said. "The fact that I can go to a university and play tennis works for me. I couldn't do that in New Zealand."
