Katie Tuck, Mallory Short and Melinda Johnson are UMKC School of Pharmacy students who juggle being athletes with doctorate-level studies. Photo by Brandon Parigo.
At UMKC, the coaches say there’s a reason they’re called student-athletes: they’re students first, athletes second.
“People want to hire athletes because they can juggle and manage a lot,” said Kendell Hale, head coach for UMKC Men’s and Women’s Tennis. “Only a select few student-athletes are going to go pro in their sports so our job is to give them the memories and tools to be successful in the workforce.”
UMKC coaches have been able to accommodate nearly all graduate-degree programs, and they can create special one-on-one practice sessions to interact with the academic schedules of student-athletes.
To learn more about UMKC student-athletes balancing studies with athletics, visit UMKC Today.
Reviewed 2025-06-16