Every Minute Counts: How Bellarmine Athletes Balance Academics and Athletics
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- 3 min read
By Niki Kollaritsch
September 3, 2026
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Classes, assignments, practices, workouts, travel and competition are all part of a normal week for Bellarmine University's Division I athletes.
For athletes competing at the collegiate level, being a student and an athlete are not separate responsibilities. They happen concurrently and require balance.
“It is definitely a learned skill, and I have not always been good at it,” said Megan Clauser, a junior nursing major and member of Bellarmine's field hockey team.
Clauser said she typically starts her day with class or clinicals from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. She then lifts weights from 11 a.m. to noon, has another class from noon to 3 p.m. and goes to practice at 3:30 p.m. Field hockey practices usually end at 7 p.m., and then she eats dinner and does her homework until about 8:30 p.m.
The challenge can look different depending on the athlete.
“I always have to have my schedule written out on a planner so that I see when I have a little bit of free time,” said senior education major Skylar Sokal, who is also part of Bellarmine's field hockey team.
As an education major, Sokal has to combine student teaching, classes and her field hockey schedule. She said her schedule tightens up even more once the team's more intense travel season starts.
“It's going to be interesting, but it will be fine,” Sokal said.
Bella Baldoza, a junior exercise science major and member of Bellarmine's dance team, shares Sokal's strategy of planning ahead.
“The way I deal with my crazy schedule is with my physical and my digital calendar where I write in my classwork, practices and work times and any other commitments I have,” Baldoza said.
Planning becomes even more important when athletes leave campus for competition. Travel can mean missed class time, long bus rides and schoolwork completed far from a normal classroom or study environment.
For Bellarmine soccer player Tutor Iordan, a senior computer science and math major, traveling is one of the most difficult parts of balancing academics and athletics.
“It's hard, honestly, to study on the road or on the bus. I try to make sure to do stuff before we get on the road because I also want to enjoy as much as possible traveling with the team,” Iordan said.
Clauser faces a similar challenge. Bellarmine's field hockey schedule takes the team across the country.
“I get to travel to really cool places. We went to New York my freshman year, and we are going to California this year, which are such great opportunities I would have never gotten if I wasn't on the team,” Clauser said.
While traveling and competing are part of the Division I experience, assignments and deadlines do not stop when the team leaves Louisville.
With so little free time, falling behind can quickly become a problem. Bellarmine swimmer Cooper Burke said staying present in class, taking good notes and keeping up with assignments are important. He also uses his weekends as dedicated time to focus on academics.
“For me, the way I am able to balance it, I think, the best way is really focusing on Saturday and Sunday as my workdays for school,” Burke said.
As athletes find their own ways to manage the demands, Bellarmine Athletics also works to support athletes throughout their college careers.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Annie Coryell said Bellarmine expects a lot from its athletes, both academically and athletically, but the university also provides resources to help them meet those expectations.
“You can just look at our overall GPA, graduation rates and even beyond that where student-athletes are landing careerwise once they graduate. That's not common. That's not normal. Our numbers are really good when it comes to GPA, retention and graduation,” Coryell said.
Even with that support, being a Division I athlete comes with sacrifices. Practices, competition and travel can mean less free time and require athletes to plan much of their college lives around both their sport and academics. For students who do not compete at the Division I level, that type of schedule might sound like it takes away from the college experience. Clauser said she sees it differently.
Clauser said the demanding schedule is part of what makes her Bellarmine experience meaningful. She said she enjoys having places to be and things to do. She also remembers arriving at Bellarmine and being grateful to immediately have the field hockey team as a community on campus.
“I simply love the sport and love what I am doing,” Clauser said.
That passion for their sport is one reason Bellarmine's athletes are willing to manage such demanding schedules.
“I really enjoy what I'm doing, and it is a big part of who I am, so I would not trade it,” Iordan said.
Still, Clauser said athletes should remember there is more to college than their sport.
“Don't make your sport your entire identity,” Clauser said.
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