Spencer Grahame and Sammy Ludwig shared their experiences on balancing academics and athletics, managing stress and their thoughts on mental health initiatives on campus.

When asked about how they cope with academic stress alongside their volleyball commitments, Grahame emphasized the importance of time management. “It’s just being a little bit smarter about the time, and not leaving things to the last minute,” he said.

Ludwig acknowledged that there are times when their volleyball schedules conflict with their academic responsibilities. “We have away games sometimes,” he said. “So, I’ll miss classes or labs that are on Thursday and Friday, so that can be difficult to deal with sometimes.”

He included that outside of road trips, the sport does not really interfere with his studies. “Like during exam periods, practices become somewhat optional, if you have an exam that day it’s okay to miss […] other than the road trips, I’d say it’s okay.”

Ludwig also added that his professors have been supportive in helping him catch up on missed classes and assignments. “All of my professors always post the notes and everything, so I can always go look at them after,” he said. “When it comes to labs and classes where attendance is taken or there are in-class assignments, we are able to email our professors […] and we don’t lose any marks for missing those classes.”

In terms of financing their university studies, Grahame expressed his gratitude for the scholarship money he receives from playing volleyball, as well as the support from his employers and parents. “I’m thankful very much for the scholarships that the university athletics is able to provide along with some other academic scholarships,” he said. “In the summer I work. I do involve with internship programs through my education […] My parents are also very generous, and they help me out,” he said.

Both Ludwig and Grahame stressed the need for social connections in maintaining mental balance amid their academic, athletic and personal lives.

For Ludwig, his volleyball teammates serve as a vital support system. “My teammates are like my family, they are like my best friends, so seeing them in practice every day, that’s like, more than enough of a social life,” he said.

Grahame on the other hand, highlighted the value of stepping outside the volleyball bubble from time to time. “I think for me connecting with some people outside of volleyball that aren’t on the team once in a while is good too, so I don’t get super wrapped up into it all the time,” Grahame said.

When asked about what initiatives or events they would like to see more of on campus to support students’ mental health, Grahame suggested that more events that promote socialization would be beneficial. “I think a big thing would be trying to get people together a little bit more,” he said. “When you go to the big, huge event with a lot of people to meet new people, I think that can be really good mental health,” he noted.