Division III athletics do not have the benefits of Division I and II.

They can’t give athletic scholarships, high school students often times don’t see Division III as competitive and student athletes almost never can make sports their full-time job.

“Sports have been a part of my life and giving it up was an option. I play because I love [the sports],” said junior softball and soccer player Courtney Syfert.

Mottos like this will be on full display from April 1-7 for the annual NCAA Division III week.

Syfert and classmate Justin Buberl, a soccer and baseball player, have the challenge of balancing not one, but two sports alongside their academics.

They have a lot in common. Both were recruited to play soccer, had a friend encourage them to come out for softball or baseball, and share the same passion.

“It is a lot of time and effort and sometimes you have to put your athletics ahead of your academics,” Syfert said.

Homework isn’t always easy to get done on road trips or between in-season schedules, Buberl said.

“It is very hard to do a lot of homework on the bus rides,” added Buberl.

It is not always easy to do so in an environment that often encourages academics first. Athletes like Buberl and Syfert have found ways to counter the issues, though.

“[Playing two sports] helps me to have better time management skills,” said Syfert. “In the offseason, I lose track of time.”

However, Buberl doesn’t have an offseason. As soon as soccer wraps up its season, he is right back in the gym getting ready for baseball season, which can be as far as five months away.

Mark Christner, who is the head basketball coach at Waynesburg and in charge of compliance and player and coach development, has seen first-hand the positive impact playing Division III athletics have on and off the playing field.

“In my time at Waynesburg, employers like a student that plays at a Division III level,” said Christner. “[Athletes] demonstrate sacrifice without the benefit of being paid.”

The big issue that student athletes see with Division III schools is that they cannot provide athletic scholarships, instead those come from academics. Division I and II schools give out scholarships based off of academic performance.

However, Division III’s added emphasis on academics has proven to be beneficial for student athletes, such as one of Christner’s senior athletes, Clay Carper who works with the Cleveland Cavaliers public relations department.

“[Division III] allows students to excel athletically and what they want to do to further their ambition,” Christner added. “Whether that is doing a little bit more research, being in committees across campus, we don’t own student athletes.”

To help celebrate Division III week, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference has waged a friendly competition with the North Coast Athletic Conference dubbed the “Change War.” Both conferences compete to see which one can raise the most combined funds.

“Both conferences have led their SAAC representatives to help with our partner in the Special Olympics,” said Christner. “This is the fifth annual event, and I don’t think we have beat them yet.”

Waynesburg University will host several events throughout the week, culminating with the inaugural WUESPY’s event in the Benedum Dining Hall Sunday, April 7.