Some of the stresses experienced by student-athletes are no different from those of any other student.

When any student has problems with schoolwork, for example, he or she normally would ask a professor or another student for help. Student-athletes deal with that problem the same way.

Beyond the classroom, however, the student-athlete faces large demands on time and energy. In most cases, the challenges are reasonable and attainable. But in rare cases, coaches present student-athletes with inappropriate demands.

Where does a student-athlete go in such situations?

Now, most student-athletes have a good relationship with their coach. However, there are instances when a coach makes excessive time demands, interferes inappropriately in academic decisions or is even physically abusive. When this is evident, what does the student-athlete do?

There are many different ways that a student-athlete can approach this situation, ways that are not necessarily evident to many student-athletes.

First, confiding in teammates is an option. The student-athlete may openly express feelings to peers and also benefit from any feedback. But while talking to a teammate may help the student-athlete evaluate an issue, the athlete is not really handling the situation. Instead, he or she is more or less just living with it. If the problem is extreme to the point that action needs to be taken, the athlete needs to look to people who have the power to confront these problems.

The optimum person to contact in these cases is the director of athletics. The student-athlete may discuss the problem or concern with the athletics director and try to come up with a suitable solution to the problem. However, some student-athletes may not feel comfortable talking to the athletics director. In such cases, a trusted professor may be an option. What is important is that the athlete find someone in a position of power with whom he or she can talk openly. It could be an advisor or even another coach.

Another choice is the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The campus SAAC is set up for exactly this purpose -- to help students communicate with administrators. The student-athlete with the problem could speak directly to the entire committee or just to the executive board. The athlete also could speak privately with the committee advisor if he or she did not want to address the problem in front of the committee.

Some student-athletes may feel most comfortable simply informing their parents and having them deal with the situation, either through advice or action. Parents could be a helpful third party in a discussion with school officials.

In a most extreme case, a student-athlete can take the problem to the president of the university. That should be the case only if the problem cannot be handled properly through any other channel.

A student-athlete may feel as though there is nowhere to turn when there is a problem with a coach. Yet there are different approaches to overcoming many problems. What is essential is that student-athletes handle any situation in a mature and responsible manner by using the people around them to set the problem to rest.

Kelly Healy is a student-athlete at Adelphi University and is a member of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.