The softball team received the 2024 California Community College Athletic Association Scholar Team Academic Award for their academic and athletic performance in spring 2024.
The Scholar Team Award is awarded by the 3C2A to a college sports team for having the most players with a 3.0 GPA or higher while also performing above average athletically, according to the 3C2A website.
“I give the team all the credit because they kind of driven each other,” head coach Kristy Schroeder said. “They did study groups, they went to their professors many times that they need help and they’re doing all the right things.”
Schroeder said part of supporting and making sure the team is doing well academically is because grade checks and study halls are put to use.
Study halls are held in the community and athletic center, room CAC 104, and is open to all Cosumnes River College athletes, where the softball team tries to get a minimum of two hours of studying per week.
Schroeder said she checks in on the players so they’re not missing classes and assignments, but the team has been making sure that doesn’t happen often. The athletes also complete grade checks that go to their professors and the athletic department, which then goes to Schroeder so the players can be guided to where they need to be.
The team shared their experience of balancing a busy life with The Connection, consisting of performing well on the softball team and in academics.
Abigail Woodfill, a sophomore first baseman, said even while being away from campus, getting school work done was still a first priority.
“I just remember all of us being in a room together hanging out, but all of us were on our laptops doing our homework,” Woodfill said. “I just think that we did a good job prioritizing our academics last year, we had a lot of team goals and I think we met those goals.”
Zoe Iverson, a sophomore second baseman, said she does her assignments first so she can use the time leading up to her exams to study.
“I think the biggest thing you would need to do is find out what works for you when it comes to timing,” Iverson said. “For me I figured out that I need to get all my homework done really early in the week or else I’ll get super busy, because I work outside of school and softball.”
The team also shared practices that help them balance their busy lives as student athletes.
Woodfill said her tips to balancing a life of academics and athletics is using her 10 p.m. rule and prioritizing her sleep.
“I would grind it up till 10 p.m. and then after 10 o’clock, I was like ‘okay, whatever I learn past 10 o’clock is not going to stick in my brain, I need to go to bed,’” Woodfill said.
Eden Hobart, a sophomore left outfielder, said time management helps her balance her student-athlete life.
“I know you want to use your free time as free time, you just want to lay down but manage your time well,” Hobart said. “It’s nice to have free time, it’s nice to lay down and not have to do anything but make sure you’re holding yourself accountable.”