Being a student-athlete is already a challenge, but adding a job on top of that can make life feel hectic. For many college athletes, the pressure to perform well in the classroom, compete at a high level in their sport, and still earn money is something that takes real discipline and commitment.
Chaminade University have five men’s sports and seven women’s sports with a total of 204 student-athletes who all compete in the Pacific West Conference. Many of these athletes also work part-time jobs, which makes it challenging to balance schoolwork, practices, and their responsibilities outside of sports.
“Working while playing a sport has really taught me how to be responsible with my time,” said Chaminade women’s basketball player Dezaray Carter. “It’s tiring, but the discipline I’m building is going to help me in the long run.”
Carter, a senior, starts her day before sunrise. She practices at 5 a.m. every morning, which lets her finish training early so she can focus on classes and her job. Carter works in retail at Moni Honolulu, a souvenir shop in Waikiki, and balancing early practices with shifts at work has taught her a lot about discipline and time management.
Nathan Medina, a Chaminade basketball senior, has a different schedule. He practices in the afternoons usually at 12:40 p.m. or sometimes at 5 p.m., which allows him to attend his morning classes and finish homework during the day. On weekends, Nathan also referees basketball games off campus at a church.
Other student-athletes at Chaminade have jobs as a server, in a restaurant, and as a youth coach.
“My experience balancing school, practice, and refereeing has definitely been interesting but good, but it was a struggle at first,” Medina said. “Practicing later in the day helps me stay on top of my classes and homework, and refereeing on the weekends has taught me new ways to manage my time.”
Medina’s routine helps him keep his priorities in order, but since he works on the weekend, “it’s way better because we play games during the weekdays so on the weekend I can just focus on working.”
Medina didn’t always have such a steady routine.
“It took me a while to get used to managing school, practice, and work all at once,” Medina said. “But once I figured out a routine that fit with games during the week and work on the weekends everything became a lot more manageable.”
Time management is one of the toughest parts of trying to keep good grades while working and competing. When students have to rush from class to practice and then straight to work, there’s often less time to meet with professors or ask for help. This can make school feel even more stressful, especially when assignments and tests start piling up.
“The hardest part is having less time after school to talk to teachers when I need help,” Carter said.
Carter said the adjustment to rushing between classes, practice, and homework took time.
“Balancing everything was pretty rough at first because my schedule changed so much,” Carter said. “But now that I’ve adjusted, I can feel myself getting more disciplined every week.”
Even with a hectic schedule, many student-athletes make sure their job doesn’t get in the way of their performance on the court. Focusing on training early in the day helps them stay sharp. Staying consistent with training is what allows them to compete at the same level as teammates who might not be juggling as much.
Organization becomes a major key to staying on track. Writing down practice times, work shifts, games, and assignments helps keep everything from becoming overwhelming. Using reminders on a phone or keeping a calendar are simple habits that make a big difference. They turn chaos into something manageable.
Carter said the lessons she learning now will matter long after college.
“Some days feel nonstop, but I’m learning how to stay focused even when I’m tired,” Carter said. “It really teaches you how to push through.”
In the end, most student-athletes feel that working while competing is worth it. Many do it to save money for the future or to learn responsibility.
“Working while playing a sport taught me how to be responsible with my time, and honestly, it’s been worth it,” Carter said.