Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/series/student-athletes-2018/)
A reporting project of the Spartan Newsroom.
From high school to the pros, wrestling to football and everything in between, experts, players and former athletes are part of a conversation to raise awareness about concussions.
Quarterback Damian Terry joins thousands of Michigan State students graduating in 2018. He’s also among a growing number of student-athletes – and, in particular, African American student-athletes – who are graduating from college, according to statistics from the NCAA.
There are only 32 picks in each of the seven rounds in the NFL draft. Yet there are more than 16,000 NCAA players who are draft eligible, according to the NCAA. But the draft is not always the end for players pursuing professional careers. [infogram id=”spartans-in-the-nfl-drafted-vs-undrafted-1h7z2l1ldxol4ow”]
Former Spartan wide receiver R.J. Shelton went undrafted in 2017, but the Minnesota Vikings saw something in him and signed him to the team for training camp. Shelton said his transition from college to the pros was simple.
Clara Sutka’s day begins with a 5 a.m. alarm. Then it’s to the vans outside by 5:45 a.m. The team needs to be out in the water by 6 a.m.
And that’s just the start for Sutka, a junior rower for the Michigan State University team. After morning practice, she’s back to campus before 8 a.m so she can make it to her first lecture of the day. Class continues until 2:30 p.m. Then it’s on the weight room for an hour before 2.5 hours more of rowing practice and a lift session. “I think Clare is the epitome of a student-athlete, she’s incredibly hard working and comes to practice ready to go every day even with a busy schedule,” said Samantha Sarff, an assistant coach on MSU’s rowing staff. “She’s able to balance performing at a high level on a daily basis with performing academically as well.”
At 6:30 p.m. Sutka is finally done.
Men’s lacrosse is one of many club sports at MSU that have been talked about when it comes to redefining the line between varsity and club. Club sports participants see such a move as one way to access additional resources and solve some of the common problems club sports teams face, including fund, organizational struggles and time management issues.
East Lansing has a hidden need for speed. One of the few signs on campus of Michigan State’s Formula Racing team is the small trailer tucked behind Snyder-Phillips Hall. But once you take a closer look, there’s so much more to uncover. The team’s shop is located on Jolly Road in Okemos, about a 15-minute drive southwest from the heart of MSU’s campus. Every night, the shop is busy, as about 20 people work machining, measuring, cutting, drilling, simulating and more.
Now in his third season as head coach of the men’s lacrosse team, Cam Holding is becoming more acclimated with how things are run within club sports. The team is completely student-run.
It’s unclear what long-term damage may be done to Michigan State University athletic programs from ongoing investigations into how the university handled sexual assault allegations.
Linda Karbo is in her 13th season as coach of Michigan State University’s pompon team. The team, founded in 2005, regular appears at campus events in addition to participating in pompon and dance competitions. It’s a club sport at MSU.
Many women’s athletics events struggle to get TV coverage, and media representations of female sports figures often still focus more on appearance than athleticism.