It's not always easy being a student-athlete. The delicate balance between academics and athletics is sometimes hard to keep up. But for junior point guard Courtney Gomez, a member of the University of Hartford's women's basketball team, handling this juggling act just seems to come naturally.

Gomez contributes her success to having good time management and being extremely organized. "It all really started in high school when I was playing basketball and softball while taking AP courses at the same time," said Gomez. "Here at Hartford, the coaches map out your schedule and help you focus on separating academics from athletics."

Gomez has a 3.55 grade point average and is studying to become a physical therapist.  The physical therapy program at Hartford is a highly competitive one, selecting around 40 candidates a year. The program has progressed over the years, now allowing students to receive their doctorate in physical therapy after seven years.

Now in her third season, Gomez has played in 70 games for the Hawks and been a part of two America East championship teams. Last season Hartford advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, knocking off 18th-ranked Temple University in the opening round. Through it all, Gomez has played an important role. "Courtney is one of the hardest working players on the team," said head coach Jennifer Rizzotti. "She is completely dedicated to her teammates and to the success of the team."

Part of Gomez's success has stemmed from the fact that she's taken lessons learned on the court and applied them in both the classroom and in everyday life. "Since coming to Hartford I've learned about determination and how hard you need to fight through adversity, and that you can never give up," continued Gomez. "There's no substitute for hard work, whether it's extra free throws after practice or seeking out extra help from a professor." 

Although basketball and school work leave little spare time, Gomez has served as Co-President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for the past two years. Through her involvement with SAAC she has twice attended the America East Leadership Conference and has been able to assist with numerous community service events. Some of those activities include Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior, and Any Soldier.com, where student-athletes sent care packages to soldiers overseas. "I have really learned about leadership and delegating through SAAC," said Gomez. "Instead of just leading by example, I had to learn how to lead by being verbal and delegating."

Recently Gomez got to continue her community service efforts when she visited a Target store in Connecticut with her coaches and teammates. The team met with 80 students from a local elementary school and instilled the importance of education. The Hawks then helped the kids shop for presents for the holidays, as each elementary student received a $50 gift card courtesy of Target. "This is one of the best events that I have ever been a part of, because the kids were so appreciative and excited," said Gomez. "It was really rewarding to watch the children have this experience and buy gifts not only for themselves, but for family members as well."

As a student Gomez hates to miss classes, but as a basketball player she knows that sometimes things are out of her control. So she does what most student-athletes have to do?she talks to her professors and gets all the information she needs in advance. "Sometimes I have to take exams early or get extra help on stuff I missed," said Gomez. "I take my work with me on the road and study on the bus and in the hotel room.  I can't afford to waste any time and I make sure to take advantage of every free minute."   

"Courtney wants to excel off the court as much as she does on," said coach Rizzotti.  "She is a great student who wants to be involved with SAAC and many extracurricular activities."

Whether on the court or in the classroom, Gomez sets a prime example of what a student-athlete should strive to be.