Jack Lambert
Jawan Stepney goes up for a basket in the Oct. 31 game against Northwest University.

CWU shooting guard Jawan Stepney transferred from Cochise College in Arizona in 2015 and has been a starter for CWU ever since. Last season, he played in all 26 games, with 25 starts and an average of 12.9 points per game.

An average day for Stepney usually starts at around 7 a.m. He makes some eggs and toast before heading to class.

“I have three classes back-to-back-to-back with about a 10-minute gap between each, so I either bring a salad or something pretty healthy to munch on and then a few snacks as well,” Stepney said.

Once class is over, Stepney has basketball practice from 2 to 4 p.m. everyday. This gives him just 20 minutes to get from class to the locker room and ready for practice, making it hard for him to find time to eat and relax.

“Balancing different classes alone is hard in itself. Add on the time-consuming sport and trying to fit it in our busy schedules with school. It’s tough,” Stepney said.

After practice, the basketball team also has weight training from 4 to 5:30 p.m. At this point Stepney has had a day of over eight hours 

After weight training, Stepney finally has a chance to work on his homework for the night.

He usually attends study hall with the team in the study hall building near Farrell Hall that used to house the chimpanzee habitat. Each player is required to have at least four hours of study hall time each week.

This is only a day in the life of one athlete, but this is the sacrifice the majority of college athletes have to make in order to continue playing. Being a skilled athlete is a large feat, but to balance athletics, school and a personal life is a whole different challenge.

Stepney’s day usually does not end after study hall. He likes to continue to work on his game in a different way during the offseason.  

“I usually try to play some pickup games in the SURC to try and build my stamina and see how I react in certain situations,” Stepney said.  “I also try to lift [weights] outside of team weights to get stronger.”

The team has suggested meal plans for each player to help the players progress faster, as they are working their bodies a lot throughout the year. It is up to the players to follow their meal plan to maintain a healthy body.

“My go-to meal is definitely chicken, rice and broccoli. It is pretty cheap and easy to make and fulfills all the things I need in my diet,” Stepney said. “We’re burning a lot of calories everyday, so I just try to eat as much as I can while being healthy.”

It isn’t until the very end of the day that Stepney can relax or hangout with friends. He has a group of close friends who he enjoys playing basketball and watching sports with, including Jordan Webb.

“He is so committed to basketball and being a good student that it is hard to find time to meet up with him,” Webb said. “The only times I am able to see Jawan during the week is late at night.”

Stepney’s friend Xavier Lopez also added how excited he was to see his friend play during the season.

“I’ve seen how much work he has put in and I think it’s really going to pay off,”  Lopez said.