Student-athletes find a way to make relationship work

Being a student-athlete can making dating hard. Daily practices and lengthy road trips make it difficult to find time for someone else and to sustain a relationship.

Junior defensive back Dwellie Striggles and sophomore sprinter Malayah White, however, have made it work. They are one example of the many couples that have sprung from UB's athletic department.

"He's in season in the fall and I'm in season in the spring," White said. "We can accommodate our schedules and make time for each other."

Striggles and White had seen each other around UB athletic facilities and met formally through mutual friends on their respective teams. White credits senior wide receiver Fred Lee for introducing them. They began dating on Dec. 2, 2012.

They said dating a fellow student-athlete has benefited the couple, as Striggles and White help each other train for their respective sports.

White is from Buffalo and stays in the area during the summer, and Striggles remains in Buffalo for summer workouts with the football team. Over the summer, they trained together, doing core workouts and running around the track at UB.

Striggles and White have made their relationship work despite their hectic schedules with training and traveling across the country to compete.

"For me, I think it helps us because we understand each other," Striggles said. "We both understand that when we go away, it's business. As student-athletes, we understand each other's struggles. We understand each other better than a person who's not an athlete. Because a person who's not an athlete won't be able to understand that you have to go on a trip for a week."

email: sports@ubspectrum.com