Sacrifice

For me, I found it a tough transition from high school to college and making the sacrifices needed to compete at a high level every day. As an athlete you have to make sacrifices that the average student does not.  In college you experience freedoms that you did not have in high school.  Yes, you'll have lift and practice that is unacceptable to miss but class is another story.  Many classes don't take attendance and no one is going to call your parents if you play "hooky" and skip.  During the week the average college student is worried about "Thirsty Thursday's" and how much alcohol they are going to consume on Friday and Saturday night and what tail they are going to chase.
As enticing as it may be to want to go out on the town you have to be able to choose the right time.  I'm not saying athletes don't go out and experience college.  I'm saying sacrifices must be made and knowing when to go out and have a good time or staying in and relaxing is important to any athlete's success.  Recovery is an important aspect and drinking breaks down muscle tissue and delays this process.  As a scholarship player you are essentially getting college paid for to play a sport and with this comes more responsibility than the normal college student.  Your decisions on the weekends have an effect on your athletic performance as well as the reputation of yourself, teammates, and program.  Bad decisions risk you losing your reputation, scholarship money, playing time, and your eligibility.