For many college students, balancing school, work and a social life is already a challenge.
For student-athletes, that balance becomes even more demanding, requiring discipline, sacrifice and mental strength that often goes unseen.
While we see the stats, the highlights, and the reels, what often goes unnoticed is the reality behind it all. For student-athletes, their sport is far from glamorous. It’s about consistently performing at a high level to maintain a spot on the team often tied to an athletic scholarship while also keeping up with school, pursuing a degree and maintaining academic eligibility.
For former BYU track athlete Lizzie, that balance was far from easy.
“I always took about 12 credits,” she said. “It was just enough to be a full-time student, but not too much that I was stressed about getting my work in.”
Still, the schedule of a student-athlete left little room for flexibility. During track season, Lizzie was often traveling every other weekend, gone from Wednesday through Sunday. While many students were attending classes or social events, she was competing, training and trying to keep up academically from a distance.
A typical day required careful planning. Classes filled the mornings, while afternoons were reserved for hours of intense training track workouts, weightlifting and cross-training that could last up to four hours. By the time the day ended, there was little energy left for anything else.
“When you go home, you just want to relax and go to bed,” she said.
That’s where the real challenge began: finding the motivation to stay on top of schoolwork despite physical exhaustion.
To manage it all, Dildine relied heavily on structure and support. BYU’s athletic resources — including tutors, academic advisors, and counselors played a key role in helping her stay organized and accountable.
“I had an academic advisor I met with every week,” she said. “They would go through all of my classes and assignments and make sure I was on top of everything.”
That support system helped, but the pressure remained. Being a student-athlete meant constantly balancing expectations both in the classroom and on the track. Performance wasn’t optional; it was required.
Beyond the physical demands, the mental toll was just as significant. The pressure to perform, maintain eligibility, and stay competitive created an environment where burnout was always a possibility.
“Mental health is a big thing in sports,” Dildine said. “And I think it should be talked about more.”
There were also sacrifices that came with the role especially socially. While her roommates enjoyed a more traditional college experience, Dildine often found herself choosing rest over late nights.
“I’d be in bed at 9 p.m. while my roommates were out,” she said.
But for her, the trade-off was worth it.
“What I was getting out of running was more rewarding than going out on the weekends,” she said.
That reward came in the form of discipline, resilience, and mental strength qualities that extended far beyond athletics.
Now, as she transitions out of her athletic career, Dildine sees the impact of those years more clearly. Without the demands of training and competition, she has more time to focus on school and life beyond sports.
“I just go straight home after class, do my assignments, and then I have the rest of the day to relax,” she said.
Looking back, the experience of being a student-athlete was about more than balancing two demanding roles. It was about becoming someone capable of handling pressure, managing time and pushing through challenges.
“That takes a lot of mental strength,” she said. “Once you’re on the other side, you feel like you can handle anything.”
For Dildine, the reality of being a student-athlete may not have been glamorous — but it was transformative.
