Inside OAU: The Untold Realities of Student-Athletes

            Adedoyin Onajobi 

As early as 5:30 a.m. on a daily basis, Zuco, a final year student from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Recreation (KHR), who is also the captain of the OAU Handball team, is already awake or at least preparing to be. Zuco sometimes finds it difficult to get up, but by or before 6 a.m., he is already on his feet, rushing to be ready 15 minutes before his 7 a.m. lecture. So, by or before 11 p.m., he will finally fall asleep, till tomorrow where he follows the same routine. Zuco’s reality is not unusual at Obafemi Awolowo University. 

Across different Faculties and Departments, a number of students live a somewhat “double life,” in that they attend lectures, write exams, and still represent themselves, their department, faculty and even the university on the pitch, court, and pool, simultaneously.

Findings revealed a 64.2% sport participation prevalence among Nigerian undergraduate students, with football taking the lead with 53.2% of the overall students' participation. Students participation in sport activities in OAU is quite interesting but not cheap, it is a product of strong passion, resilience and commitment to making difference.

OAU STUDENTS-ATHLETES DAILY ROUTINE 

The daily routine of a good number of these athletes would exhaust students who are not like them if they try to follow it. For instance, the routine of the OAU Handball Team Captain, Zuco, explained early, would be considered tiring for a regular final year student.  

           picture of OAU Handball Team 

He wakes at 5:30 a.m., stands up by 6 a.m., gets to class 15 minutes early, trains on Monday and Wednesday for up to five hours, then again on Saturday for another five hours, and hardly sleeps until around 11 p.m., even Sundays are not fully his rest days, he jogs to maintain his fitness, for 20 minutes in the morning.

Zuco is not left alone in this, because Pius Akuh, a Diploma 2 swimmer from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Recreation (KHR), who is also a butterfly specialist, is often inside the water for nothing less than 6-day (Monday to Saturday) per week, spending at least 2-hours in each day. 

           picture of Pius doing what he is best at

His reality is based on an hour of land drills, an hour of water work. He wakes at 6 a.m. and sleeps around 10 p.m. on the average level. Apart from being a student athlete, he is also a swimming instructor for other members of the OAU Dolphins.

Eyitayo, a football player, influencer, and brand owner, trains alone four days a week every morning before attending lectures. He is up by 6 a.m. and does not stop training until 9:30 or 10 a.m. He sleeps sometimes around 1 a.m. because he always has things to do.

          picture of Eyitayo, a fooballer and influencer 

There is also a final year student of the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, who happens to be a member of both OAU Giants and Erudidote Football Academy, Adefioye Ibrahim (Movic), who has structured his entire day around his class schedule. 

           Movic, an award-winning footballer

If there is an early morning class, he skips the morning jogging and warmup, otherwise, he trains everyday at 5:30 a.m. and again at 11 p.m., while his free time is reserved strictly for resting or reading.

BALANCING SPORTS AND ACADEMICS 

Responding to questions on how they manage academics alongside their passion for sport, their respective answers are direct and differ.

For Sodiq, a Part 5 student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and full-time basketball player, who also dabbled in football and table tennis, the two worlds do not really interfere. 

He explained that he barely read from the beginning of the semester, which gives him all the time he needs for sport. However, once tests draw near, he tones down his sport engagements, particularly during examination period, he reduces his everyday training to once a week  or none at all, depending on the progressions and dimensions of his examination timetable.

Zucolee has a similar approach of balancing academics with his sport engagement, “my purpose for coming to school is clear, which is strictly “to study,” that focus makes balance easier. I socialize too, but once exam season arrives, all I do is to "lock-in."

He further stated that he has never missed any exams to sport, partly because most lecturers in his department were once athletes themselves, so they understand much better.

For Adefioye, there is no such ease, balancing academics with training, jogging and competitions is simply not easy. Every free moment goes back into rest or study. He also pleaded that the university management should structure lecture hours for 9 a.m. -3 p.m., and 4-7 p.m. for training, to enable athletes to have proper training duration.

In his response, Sodiq also craved institutional support, noting that he believed that coaches are already doing their best to schedule training around timetables. However, the management, he argues, can also support student athletes by ending lectures earlier for evening training, cancelling Saturday morning lectures for those with morning sessions, and providing better coverage and support for students who represent the university in various sport competitions.

THE PRESSURE THEY CARRY

The physical and emotional toll is something outsiders rarely see in them, even as they represent their departments, faculties, or even the university in various competitions.

Pius put it directly when asked if he feels overwhelmed— "Yes ooo," he said. The hardest part, he explained, is having to go to class immediately after training instead of resting or taking a nap. That alone, he says, is a lot

Sodiq carries his sport literally everywhere, unlike regular students who travel lite, he can not always carry a small bag. On days where he will not return home between his last class and evening training, he hauls his training gear across campus all day. 

After training, his routine is simple but exhausting — freshen up, pray, eat, and sleep as soon as he is able to. Most night,  he is too tired to read. Whether or not he wakes up to study is, as he puts it, "maybe or maybe not."

Zuco is candid about another reality that rarely gets discussed, he explained that being a student athlete in Nigerian universities is really not financially beneficial. So beyond academics and sport, there is also the pressure of figuring out how to make money.

THE THOUGHT OF QUITTING

Not everyone has always been certain about if they wanted to keep going. Zucolee once thought about giving it all up. According to him, governing bodies making empty promises, dishonest coaches, and little motivation are parts of the reason, but the support he receives from his family and friends held him back.

Adefioye, on the other hand, says he never felt like quitting. “Training three times a week for three hours each session has become my routine for a long time. Winning the Supremacy Cup and being named Most Valuable Player reminds me of why I shouldn't quit, because I want to be a professional footballer, and every session is a step towards achieving that goal.”

              picture of Eyitayo with a Trophy 

Sodiq's answer when asked if he ever considered quitting was immediate—"Not at all, give up keh?" Sport, he said, was his escape from reality. When asked what he does to relieve stress, he laughed and said it is still basketball.

For him, the stress and pressure does not arise from the sport, rather, it stems from his academics.

WHAT WE DO OFF-FIELD 

What makes these students financially buoyant is everything happening off the field. Zucolee is a hairstylist, Eyitayo runs a brand and creates content as an influencer, Sodiq picked up forex trading along the way, and Pius is a coach for swimmers. Each of them are  quietly building something beyond the sport, between training sessions and late night study.

Sodiq notes that most people on campus assume athletes are not serious about academics, the reality, he says, is the opposite. Sport is often what keeps them going. As he put it, “if sport does not exist, many of us might not perform well academically."

Praise, a female footballer in OAU Giantess, a Broadcast Journalism student and a Fashion Designer, said "perhaps it is  all for the best.” She has come close to giving up but always pulled back, making sure neither sport nor her academics suffers. “My two recent awards from football competitions have further strengthened my passion, which is what keeps me going."

At Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), behind every jersey and swimming cap, there is a student carrying a full academic load, an alarm set before dawn, and a quiet determination that regular students walking past them will never fully understand.