Managing Academics During Athletics Season
The St. Lawrence University’s men’s golf team recently returned from a stretch of competition spanning five days and two tournaments in Bethpage and Verona, New York. These tournaments take place during a time in the spring semester when workloads are high and many students struggle to keep up with their academic responsibilities.
The spring schedule for the Saints is known for being unpredictable and rather short due to weather and playing conditions. Dave Clausen, head men’s and women’s golf coach at SLU, notes that the spring season is a difficult time, especially for schools in the northeast. “It’s different from other team sports in that weather really dictates our schedule,” he said. “It’s back-end loaded in April, and obviously, we try to take advantage of every Saturday and Sunday.”
This past weekend in Bethpage marked the halfway point for the Saints golf’s spring season. The week prior, the Saints traveled to Saratoga Springs, and the week following, the men wrapped up their season at the Liberty League Championships in Verona. Between practice rounds and travel, this schedule has led to frequent schedule conflicts. “It’s certainly tough,” said Clausen. “It would be three, four… five days of class this spring that our golfers have missed.” These absences are condensed to a short period of time at the end of the semester, with all of them occurring in the last three weeks of April.
However, the golf program has found ways to maintain good academic standing while on the road. Ben DeBiase ’26, a member of the men’s golf team, thinks that the golf team is well-prepared for weekend travel, even during tough academic stretches. “What’s nice about our team is that we usually get a weekend itinerary,” he said. “You can kind of think about it in advance; you can get all the materials you will need and can set aside some time for yourself to get some work done.”
Additionally, traveling on the weekends may help to keep athletes focused and proactive during their weekdays on campus. “It’s good to know that sometimes my weekends are going to be full,” said DeBiase. “It kind of keeps me grinding towards the middle of the week to make sure I won’t fall behind when I am missing Friday classes.”
The SLU men’s golf team has found success in managing a busy spring schedule, all while staying academically focused. Clausen thinks that this depends on his players being proactive and transparent early in the semester. “It starts with good communication with their professors,” he said. “Making sure that we’re not missing class in February and March so that we’re in a position where we can miss class later on.”