Managing the Juggling Act

Adjusting to life as a college student can pose many challenges as students learn to balance academic, social, personal, and other commitments. In addition to these demands on their time, student-athletes juggle practice, training, and game schedules — but not without community support. 

Student-Athlete Mentors (SAMs) was formed as a way for athletes to connect with and mentor their teammates and to provide each team with another non-captain leader, one who is knowledgeable about the resources available to student-athletes on campus. 

“Being a student-athlete, especially at a rigorous school like Grinnell, is difficult and comes with challenges that student-athletes may not know how to deal with,” says Rachel Woock ’23, SAM’s president and a member of the volleyball team. “This group is a wonderful way for athletes to get involved in planning events for the campus community as well as mentoring and inspiring their own teammates to get involved in the wider campus community.”

While its members became involved with the organization for a wide range of reasons, from connecting to the larger community to improving personal leadership skills, Woock says that each has learned valuable lessons from the group.

“It’s important to understand that, while a club like this may not take you further into your career or life after college, you learn so many things just from being a part of a small community; and those transferable skills that can take you far no matter what you decide to do,” she says. “SAM is another reason I love being an athlete at Grinnell, and I’m sure a lot of the other SAMs would agree; we are student-athletes, but we are also Grinnellians who chose to go to this school because of the wonderful wider campus community.