410 Forum — Sports
Tougher Than Most: A Day in the Life Of A Student-Athlete
By Rebecca Skeim
UNC lacrosse players huddle during a win over Creighton. The team finished 12-0. Photo by Rebecca Skeim. |
2:30 p.m.
The wind in Greeley whips hard and shakes the glass-paned windows of a small home as Tim Hinkle prepares to head to class. He frantically collects two large textbooks and a yellow notebook as he motions toward the front door. Visibly tired, Hinkle drives to class.
3:03 p.m.
As class commences with a tall female professor walking into the classroom, Hinkle sits appearing relaxed. Many hand-written notes and PowerPoint slides later, the course concludes.
“Well that class went by slow, as usual,” Hinkle says while walking toward his car.
As a midfielder on the men’s lacrosse team and a senior at the University of Northern Colorado, Hinkle is expected to balance many responsibilities. Hinkle said he ended up at UNC after weighing the benefits of many colleges. He said UNC appealed to him because it was only about an hour away from his home town and had a lot to offer through athletics and academics.
Growing up in the town of Golden, nationally known for Coors Brewing Company, Hinkle knew it would be a struggle to leave the town he grew up in. But, in addition to academics, he wanted to play lacrosse, his passion at UNC.
4:22 p.m.
As Hinkle arrives home and opens the front door, the smell of macaroni and cheese flows through the entry way. The other inhabitants of the small home are scattered about various locations within.
Hinkle must hurry to conduct a wardrobe change, from student to athlete. His jeans and tennis shoes are traded in for mesh shorts and cleats. His blue collared shirt is traded for a warm-up penny covered by a UNC labeled jacket, perfect for a windy day like this.
4:41 p.m.
He must hustle to arrive at practice and have all gear on before the warm-up run begins. Although technically practice begins at 5 p.m., players are considered late if they are not ready at 4:55 p.m.
Hinkle puts on his helmet, arm pads and gloves. He is prepared just in time as his coach walks up and orders the players to line up. The Greeley wind is still roaring across the open field as the men start their run. The team kicks up small pieces of rubber from underneath the artificial grass field as their legs begin to grow tired.
5:13 p.m.
The intensity on the field rises as the team moves into drills. The players are dedicated and understand that when they mess up, they pay the price. Hinkle said he is devoted to the team and knows that doing extra running is sometimes necessary.
Hinkle’s positive attitude and commitment has come from his experiences. The death of his father in 2007 added a lot of stress to an already busy student athlete. Hinkle said the experience gave him a different outlook on life.
“I have seen Tim deal with a lot in his life,” said Gus Bridges, who has known Hinkle since elementary school. “He balances everything so well.”
6:04 p.m.
The practice has moved into a scrimmage and the temperature seems to be dropping. Hinkle walks off of the field with a large red mark across his upper arm. Another player’s stick found the perfect two inch chunk of exposed skin to whack.
“Tim exerts so much effort on, and off, the field,” said Thomas Turner, vice president of the team.
Practice ends, and although the sun is gone, Hinkle’s day is far from over. After taking off his lacrosse gear and stuffing it into his bag, he listens to his voicemails. He arrives home and must change roles again and begins doing homework, even before eating dinner. His computer, a sport and exercise science book and sheets of notes lie scattered around the couch.
“Players need to keep their grades up and complete homework on time,” UNC men’s lacrosse coach David Wakefield said in a pre-season letter to players.
Hinkle said he has learned to balance his time between school work, lacrosse and down time. The constant flow of activity has become routine in Hinkle’s everyday life. He said game days with travel commitments require even more from him.
“This might be a long night again. I have a midterm and a paper due this week,” Hinkle says. “Typically I’m up until at least 1 a.m.”
The Greeley wind whips outside of Hinkle’s small home. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., Hinkle will do it all over again.
Hard-hitting facts on Tim Hinkle
Birthday: May 1, 1987.
Hometown: Golden, Colo.
Jersey Number: 20.
Position: Midfield.
Height: 5 feet 7 inches.
Major: Sport and exercise science.
Year: Senior.
Source: UNC men’s lacrosse Web site.
Rebecca Skeim