BY PATRICK LYONS, Columnist

We all have a parent or an authority figure who has tried to instill in us that procrastination is the devil. Let’s face it, we’ve all, at some point in our lives, put a homework assignment off so badly that we wondered what on earth we were thinking. We get behind, stress out, punch a wall, call Mom crying, and before you know it, come down with a cold due to lack of sleep. How much worse can the monster of procrastination get when it pertains to student-athletes? According to the American Psychological Society, there are two types of procrastinators. Active procrastinators put off their work somewhat intentionally because they prefer the time pressure that comes with delaying their process. Passive procrastinators put off their work because they simply cannot act in a timely manner. Now which of these pertains to student athletes here around campus the most? I chose to ask ten student-athletes here at Piedmont College which type of procrastinator they thought they were. Five of the students were male, the other five were female. After my small survey, I concluded that only two students believed that they enjoy the rush of pressure by putting off work; one of these students was a male, the other a female. Also, I’d like to point out that the female student athlete was a mass communications student who is very familiar with short time windows and difficult deadlines. Eight out of the ten student athletes at Piedmont admitted that they were often poor managers of their time and that they wish they weren’t so passive with their homework. Ritchie Etheridge, a junior business major and member of the Piedmont Golf team admits that the struggle is real.

“It’s tough being a student athlete even at a small school like Piedmont,” Etheridge said. “The biggest problem I face is the time management aspect of it all. I put stuff off and tell myself it’s ok and before I know it I’m pulling an all-nighter.” Student athletes are placed under tremendous stress during their four years in college. Making it to practice on time, fighting for a starting position and keeping the parents happy are just examples of what’s on the surface. Keeping a 2.0  GPA to stay eligible might seem easy to most people. But ask any student who is in season around campus just how difficult it is to balance the one-two punch that is college athletics. You might be surprised by what you hear.