No Days Off: Inside the Student-Athlete Experience In Season and Out of Season
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Athletes at Rutgers University in Camden can spend anywhere between eight to twenty hours a week on athletics depending on their season. Even in the off-season these teams come together for practices, conditioning, and team meetings. In season, these time commitments can include travel and competitions, only adding to the time spent together. Both in and out of season, student athletes require mental, physical and even academic demands.
According to a recent study at the Liberal Arts and Sciences department of the University of Illinois, “Research suggests that students should spend approximately two to three hours, per credit hour, studying in order to be successful in their courses.” They also mentioned that additional studying was important for STEM classes.
Meanwhile, student athletes are still expected to balance their academics, work, and personal lives, leaving little downtime to engage in other extracurriculars or hobbies. Many athletes even express that there are pressures of being a student athlete that can be difficult to notice through an outside point of view.
Caitlyn Ortiz, a sophomore on the Rutgers–Camden women’s soccer team, explained that she struggles to perform both on and off the field which causes stressful emotions. She also stated that there are truly no real days off when a part of a collegiate sport.
Rutgers-Camden women’s soccer team is currently in their spring off-season. While their primary competition window is in the fall, this team is using the winter and spring months to get in extra work off the field. Their schedule includes weekly practices Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with hours adding to around eight hours dedicated to mostly conditioning in preparation for their preseason this upcoming summer.
Caitlyn Ortiz shared her experience trying to juggle being a student athlete with social connections, “The off-season I spent hours practicing and trying to make time to do things with family and friends can be hard…”. And when she was asked what some of the biggest challenges she faced as an athlete, she expressed, “We have to worry about performing on the field, but we also have to worry about performing in the classroom…”
In contrast, RUC’s baseball team is starting to focus on their upcoming games. The team won the NJAC tournament in 2025 and are currently top contenders for the title this year. In their preseason, their preparation includes practices Monday through Saturday, with hours reaching over 20 per week. A baseball game lasts several hours, and it is also common for Rutgers Camden’s baseball team to have double headers, which are competition days with multiple games.
Brice Bradley, a junior baseball player at Rutgers–Camden, expressed, “One of my biggest concerns would probably be missing class. Our travel days take up a lot of time, and while the absences are excused you miss some of the material.” He also added, “Keeping in contact with the professors is probably the biggest key, and for the most part they’re really great with being understanding and supportive”.
Although the requirements and schedules are different depending on the season, the students and staff at Rutgers Camden University help to ensure the success of the athletics programs. Student athletes participation in their sports demands skills in time management at all times of the year.
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