All young students attend college with the goal of furthering their education. However, some students begin the school year with more goals than others. College-aged student athletes work to expand their knowledge and play an active sport at the same time. Some question whether or not this is academically beneficial. Many argue that active participation in an athletic sport greatly distracts from academic progress. There is a considerable amount of evidence to support this claim. It has been found that only 88% of all college student athletes in the United States graduate from their university. That number doesn't seem so dire when taken alone, but next to the 94% of non-student athletes nationwide completing their education, there is clearly something about balancing academics and athletics that is preventing students from graduating (Newhouse, 2017 ). There are many possible factors that contribute to a student athlete's deficiency. Poor time management, severe experiences of self-doubt, and physical stress are some of the many factors that contribute to the decline of student-athletes in higher education. All of this drastically contributes to the lower percentage of graduating student athletes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first factor that negatively hinders a student athlete is poor time management skills. The inability to make time for both academics and athletics is the leading cause of student athlete failure. Being too devoted to their sport, student athletes are inattentive to schoolwork. They often skip study time to attend training and skip classes to attend away games. Most people can't handle too much on their plate, so student athletes are forced to choose between one or the other. Typically, the student chooses athletics as their number one priority, most likely because they have a scholarship to maintain. This choice very negatively affects their schoolwork and test scores. Furthermore, those who fail to become professional athletes end up failing (Gerdy, 2017). Academic programs and extracurricular activities require the same amount of attention, and exceptional time management skills are needed to succeed both on and off the field. However, most college athletes, especially adjusting freshmen, have difficulty balancing schoolwork with practices and playing time. This is where some fail. Poor time management skills are the root cause of many student athletes' downfall. Not only do student athletes struggle mightily with time management, but they also face many insecurities throughout their college careers. Insecurity among student athletes is common and stems from a number of things. Coercion is the main cause of insecurity. Most college athletes receive a large scholarship from their university for their athletic achievements in high school, and with the scholarship comes enormous pressure to maintain it. Student athletes not only must work to maintain a high grade point average, but they must also remain active in their sport (Simons, Rheenen, & Covington, 2017). There is too much pressure to succeed both in the classroom and on the playing field. The stress of maintaining a scholarship causes insecurities and self-doubt in the student and very often interferes with success. Fear is another god.