Keep in mind that at D1/2 schools, there are in-season and off-season programs that occupies fairly large chunk of their time. While the hours spent officially are regulated by NCAA and in some leagues, there are more stringent league limits than NCAA for off-season rules, there are plenty of non-official and voluntary activities that student athletes are faced with.
The nice thing about D3 schools is that their offseason program is all voluntary (because NCAA doesn't allow them, I think...) and students are allowed to be students at least the half of the academic year. The time away from organized practices and training are very valuable part of the students maturity process and academic progress, including participating in other commitments (e.g., coop projects with companies, in-term internships and so on).
I think perspective is extremely important for parents of student athletes. Just as when our kids were U8 and we focused on development and raising our kids. My belief is that, at least through undergrad, we help our kids not lose sight of what's really important in life, say 10 years from now. If that answer happens to be a professional soccer player or coach, that's one answer. If it having a professional career in a chosen field of study that you're attending the school for, then its another answer. Its only human nature to react to what seems most important now with little to no regards towards the big picture, especially when we're young. But ymmv!
