Some collegiate athletes are being faced with a difficult decision that should not have to be made. Athletes in minority religious groups occasionally have to choose between a championship game or spending a religious holiday with their family.

There have been a number of instances where athletics contests have conflicted with religious holidays. Who is at fault in this situation? Do the athletes and families have a problem with these controversies? Can this problem be rectified and, if so, should it?

Athletes in minority religious groups are continually faced with deciding between religion or athletics competition. From my own experience, this past September my tennis team was competing in the Newport, Rhode Island, Grass Court Invitational. This tournament happened to fall on the weekend of Rosh Hashanah, which I celebrate because I am Jewish. I immediately called my parents and explained the situation to them.

Their first reaction was to question why a tournament like this was held on such an important religious holiday. My parents told me I was my own man now and I could make my own decisions. Knowing how much my religion means to my family and myself, while still considering how much hard work and time I put into tennis, this was a difficult decision to make. I had to choose between letting down my teammates or compromising my religious beliefs.

The weekend of the tournament came and I found myself sitting in the van with the rest of my teammates headed for Newport. The decision was not an easy one to make, and I still question whether I made the correct choice.

The most important question is this: Should I have been faced with this decision in the first place? Would this tournament have been held on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday? Someone should have realized that Passover is an important religious holiday and that scheduling an athletics event on this day could affect some athletes?

The bottom line is that coaches and athletics administrators should be aware of minority religions and their holidays. They should remember that as collegiate athletics grows in this country, so does the diversity of the religion of the competitors.

The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee mission statement is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image.

It's not fair to have a student-athlete choose between religion and athletics. Either way, the athlete loses.

Justin Stein is a member of the Division II Student-Athlete Committee and is a tennis player at Bryant College.