Corderol Campbell: The former student athlete turned father defying the odds
Campbell wakes up in a familiar groggy haze caused by his lack of sleep, aided by the faint cries of his 7-month old baby boy in the next room over. His days usually begin like this around 6 am, driving his son to day care and preparing to finish his homework that he knows he shouldn’t have put off till the last minute.
It’s hard to wonder how he got here when less than a year ago he was trying to solidify a spot as a long jumper for the Iowa Track and Field team.
We sat down with Campbell on a cold winters day in Iowa to learn more about the journey of this student-athlete turned father took to get to where he is today.
Knowing how hard fatherhood is, what is a normal day like for you and 7-month old Camari?
Everyday is a pretty tight schedule with taking care of Camari, work, classes, and other schoolwork consuming all of my time. From about 5:30 am to 12:30 am the next night is completely fitted with these four activities, and even schoolwork sometimes gets pushed to the next day. It’s just really difficult going 5–6 hrs of classes and schoolwork, working as much to make a living for things like food, rent, and daycare, and then taking care of Camari the rest of that time.
Being a parent at a large University such as Iowa seems like a hard task. What is it like being a father and full-time college student?
It’s hard at times because at first, I wasn’t quite ready for that stage in my life. I was so used to being able to do certain things or take time to focus on one task at a time, but now I kind of have to think a lot about my time management and the responsibilities that come with every decision about what to do during the day.
Rewinding back to the beginning of your sophomore year, what is the largest difference from then to present?
The big difference is the huge responsibility that comes with being a father. I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about what I was going to do when I found out I was going to be a parent, and how things would work out for me and his mother. It was very worrying, because sometimes I thought to myself, “Am I even ready to be a father?” After getting a lot of support from my family and peers, I came to the decision that have me where I am today. I know that I made the right one and wouldn’t change it for anything.
What made you so interested in Track and Field?
I had a history in track with my older siblings being very successful in the sport. I didn’t start as well with the expectations that they put me under, but as an athlete, I wanted to prove people wrong because even some of my coaches gave up on me. I worked the hardest that I possibly could, reading articles, studying videos, lifting weights, and working on my technique until it finally all clicked together near the end of my sophomore year of high school. The struggle was tough, but I started to notice it getting better for me when those who doubted me started to see me be successful and start believing in what I could do.
What was the pressure like competing at the Division I level of athletics?
I got through that phase where I was constantly doubted, with people telling me, “your brother wasn’t even a Division I athlete, so how could you?” I chose not to listen to them, and to focus on making the most of my opportunity.
How hard was it for you to be cut and what was your mentality like afterwards?
I had two opportunities to make the team, and the first was shattering to my confidence. For about 2 weeks or so I just sat around wondering what I was going to do next. Then, I just kinda switched my mentality to what I could do to get better and improve to maybe in the future give it another shot. No matter what I went through, I always told myself it was just another step until I finally emailed the track coaches about another opportunity, and during the Fall 2016, got my chance. The second time, it was kind of a blessing because it allowed me to devote my time to being a father to my son and watch every second of him grow.
Did you have any problems adjusting from being a normal student, to being a student athlete, to being a student-parent in a matter of three years?
It was hard because I thought my schedule was tough as a Freshman taking 15–16 semester hours and having some schoolwork. Little did I know as a Sophomore and intercollegiate athlete, I had my time all planned out and had to have certain blocks free specifically for training and studying. 4–5 hours of training followed by schoolwork and classes drained my body. None of those really compare to this year though, because all of my time is devoted to Camari and school and work fall in directly behind that. Looking back to last year and even freshman year, the time that I had free was unrealistically more than anything I have today. It makes me appreciate somebody like my mom, who raised me and my four other siblings while attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It makes me think if she could do it with five children, I can do it with one
Since your mother is somebody who inspired you, what is one of the most important lessons she gave you that you hold dear?
She always pushes us to pursue our education so we can be successful and do what we want to do. No matter what troubles we go through, she has always been there for my siblings and I while also getting us to be as responsible and productive as we could be. She always has wanted what is best for us, and that is why I respect and love her so much.
What is one bit of advice you would give to any future student-athletes or student-parents?
Have the time management thing down. For both, you need to think about what responsibilities you have in taking care of yourself and the others around you, and need to focus especially on using whatever free time that you have on what needs to get done rather than what you want to do.
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