It goes without saying that academics at Princeton are no joke. Now, during finals, that is more clear than ever. Varsity athletes at Princeton have to balance playing sports at a Division I level with maintaining solid academic standing — something that is far from easy.
While playing for a season is difficult and time consuming, there are a select few at Princeton who play multiple sports. That means hours of intense practices, lifts, and film sessions for virtually the entire academic year.
The Daily Princetonian spoke with two of these athletes, sophomores Jackson Green and Jay Mentink, to get their perspective on what it means to be a multi-sport athlete at Princeton.
Green plays wide receiver for the football team and is a short-stick defensive midfielder for the lacrosse team. Mentink also plays for the football team as a linebacker and is an outfielder for the baseball team.
“Balancing two sports and Princeton academics definitely isn’t easy, but it forces you to be efficient with your time,” Green told the ‘Prince.’ “You don’t really have the option to procrastinate — you learn to attack your day and stay ahead.”
“It also helps that I’m surrounded by great teammates and coaches who push me,” he added. “I’m lucky to have an incredible support system — my friends, family, and teammates — who always keep me grounded and help me manage the stress when things get heavy.”
Currently, Princeton men’s lacrosse is preparing to compete in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, where they will play Syracuse on May 17.
Mentink, who is wrapping up the season with the baseball team, made similar points.
“It’s a grind, for sure, but it really just comes down to having discipline and prioritizing the right things, being proactive, using my free time during the day to stay ahead of my schoolwork or practice self care instead of being an NPC on my phone.”
“It really comes down to using the small windows of free time I get productively,” he added.
That mindset shapes the way Green structures his daily routine, maximizing every spare moment to stay ahead both on and off the field.
Green starts his days off with a morning lift before class. After taking a quick lunch break, he meets up with his football position coach to watch film — even outside of the football season — before finishing up his classes for the day.
After class, Green does more training and recovery work before watching lacrosse film and practicing with the team. Once all of that is done, he is back to doing school work before going to sleep.
“I wouldn’t really say one sport is more intense than the other — both demand a ton physically and mentally in different ways,” Green explained. “It’s a full day, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
For Mentink, the workload is similar. During the football season, he is up at six in the morning to prepare for a hfilm and strategy meeting before heading to a team lift. After classes, he is back at the locker room to prepare for practice, which lasts until dinner. Then, it’s time for homework and sleep.
Baseball season is similar, with a morning lift, class, practice, then work and sleep, all without too much time to relax.
While these schedules are certainly tough, both Green and Mentink are used to the grind. Green played three varsity sports in high school — football, basketball, and lacrosse — while Mentink spent his summers and falls playing football and winters and springs playing baseball.
“It’s really the same here, except it just takes more work, discipline, and intentionality to keep up with my teammates, because obviously there is more talent at the D1 level,” Mentink told the ‘Prince.’ “Seasonally, it’s the same, but at Princeton, it just takes more work to succeed.”
Green described his high school workload as challenging, yet manageable. Princeton, like Mentink said, is on another level.
“The academics are tougher, the practices are longer and more demanding, and the expectations are higher across the board,” Green explained. “There’s not a lot of room for error here, but that’s what makes it special. You’re surrounded by elite people in the classroom and on the field, and it forces you to raise your standards every single day.”
While both Green and Mentink attested to the fact that both their sports require intense commitment, the atmospheres between teams vary.
“Both teams are built on hard work, competitiveness, and brotherhood, but the vibes are a little different,” Green said.
The football roster has around 100 players, and oftentimes players are split up into different position groups to hone their respective crafts. Green described the team as a “big army moving together,” with a lot of emphasis on each group doing their part.
“For football, you have team meetings on top of lifts and practice,” Mentink said. “So I’d say technically … football is more time intensive.”
Lacrosse and baseball, on the other hand, have much smaller rosters and slightly different vibes.
“Lacrosse is a smaller group, so it’s a lot easier to become tighter and more personal — more like a close-knit family where everyone knows each other on a really deep level,” Green stated.
“Both cultures are incredible,” Mentink added.
While it can be hard to balance two sports at once, Green and Mentink both have their own strategies for handling the workload.
“In season, whatever sport I’m playing gets my full focus,” Green told the ‘Prince.’ “I’m all-in on lacrosse in the spring and all-in on football in the fall.”
“In my free time, I also play a lot of basketball,” he added. “It was my first love, and it helps sharpen my footwork, quickness, and vision for both sports. Plus, it’s a great way to clear my mind when things get hectic.”
While Mentink gives his in-sport season his full focus, he also likes to stay sharp in his free time and unwind with whatever sport is not currently practicing.
“Naturally, over the course of the season, I’m seeking out extra time to get some swings in if I’m in football season, or do some drill work if I’m in baseball season.”
While both athletes are passionate about playing their sports at such a high level, it is fair to question whether it would make more sense to go all-in for one team. However, both say this is exactly what they signed up for.
“I think it’s natural to wonder sometimes what it would be like if you put everything into just one sport,” Green admitted. “But for me, I’ve never seen it as one taking away from the other. If anything, playing both has made me a better athlete overall — mentally, physically, and competitively.”
“Sure, there are sacrifices,” he added. “But I also believe the skills, toughness, and discipline I’ve built from doing both outweigh anything I might’ve missed.”
“This is exactly what I wanted when I chose to do this,” Mentink affirmed. “It’s forced me to be extremely intentional and confident in my work process and lifestyle at all times. The skills that I’m learning here doing two sports have and will continue to forge me into my best self on and off the field.”
“I’m proud to represent both teams, and I trust that the work I’m putting in will show up where it matters,” Green said.
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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