So I'm almost a semester and a half into my freshmen year as a student-athlete at Fordham University. No matter how much you prepare, how many people you talk to, what your high school was like, collegiate athletics will most likely not match your expectations (whether that be for better or worse) and that is just one of the many things I've learned these past few months. From my own experiences and from those whom I've talked to in similar situations, I've noticed that there are reoccurring patterns between our positions as freshmen both in the classroom and on the team.
While every school, sport, team, and student is different, these are just a few similarities I think many incoming student-athletes have to face in everyday situations. Now, these might come across as complaints, but I assure you, every single one of us, including myself, feels incredibly blessed to have the opportunity we have. Like other athletes would most likely agree with, I can't imagine going to school without playing my sport (softball), and although I've known them less than a year, I love my team and I'd do anything for them.
1. Carrying Equipment/ Getting Water
Although some teams may have managers or student assistants to help out with the dirty work of carrying and setting up your sport's paraphernalia for practices and games, most of the time, a lot of the work gets handed to the lucky newcomers who cant refuse it.
Now, for a lot of big-time schools or for more money-generating sports, this isn't ever an issue, but, I play softball for a mid-major program so….we've had to get our hands dirty. It's nothing new from high school and travel ball, but there's a bit more pressure on you to make sure you set up everything on time every time, or else your whole team will face the consequences
2. Playing Time
This is an obvious one. If you're entering into a collegiate program as a student-athlete chance are you were one of the best players (if not the best) on your high school and AAU (travel) teams. That being said, you were probably used to playing every second of every minute of every game, and most likely in your favorite position. Come to college as a freshmen and you're starting from scratch.
Yes, playing time can be earned, but not easily and without sacrifice. Our team has multiple freshmen who start, and same is the case for most teams, but for a lot of athletes, freshmen year serves as much needed wake-up call that screams: this is only the beginning. You haven't earned anything yet
3. Taking Blame
An incoming freshmen has a pretty sizable burden on them, especially considering that while a new batch of recruits comes in, an experienced veteran class graduates. The first year students must automatically try and fill shoes they've never had to try on before. If the team had triumphant success the season before, there's an automatic standard to uphold, and should the team fall short, it's hard not to see the new variables as the reason for failure.
If the team couldn't produce the previous year then suddenly the freshmen have the expectation of bringing a spark to the team to elevate the team's overall caliber of play. Basically, if the team doesn't act or play the way they were anticipated to, people want to blame what's changed, and what's a move obvious change than new teammates. I'm not saying the freshmen shouldn't take reasonability, I'm just pointing out a generally common theme.
4. The Freshmen Stereotype
Freshmen really do deserve the blame sometimes. With inexperience comes stupid mistakes. Little stupid mistakes all over the freaking place. I'm not just talking about physical errors or slip-ups in games, but also the more mundane things like not knowing where to be or when to be there or not wearing the right practice socks to practice.
You're constantly asking 'dumb' questions, mixing up the uniform, or forgetting things in your dorm. They're what I would call…classic freshmen moves. You'll figure it out eventually, but for now, just keep apologizing and learning from your mistakes, and you'll be fine
5. N.A.R.P.S. vs. Athletes
'Narp' is the slang term used by athletes to describe regular university students (Non-Athletic-Regular-People). As an incoming freshmen athlete you'll notice more of a difference between being an athlete in high school as compared to being one in college, and you'll also recognize the distinction between a non-athlete and a variety athlete is pretty obvious. It's sometimes hard to make friends who aren't (although definitely not impossible) also athletes because your schedule is so much different than theirs.
You don't get to enjoy the infamous 'college experience' the same way they do, and sometimes it's hard not to get jealous. However, at the end of the day, you can't help but feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have the opportunity you do to play a collegiate sport.
6. No Free time
You sign up for this when you sign up to play for your school's team, but that doesn't mean it doesn't take a toll on your life once and a while. You've really got to micro-manage your time in order to fit everything in and succeed in both your academic and athletic lives.
Between workouts, practices, class, and competitions, there's not much time for socializing, relaxing, or venturing out beyond the confines of campus. You do have some time, and you can definitely still maintain a social life, but time is certainly a hot commodity in the world of the student-athlete
7. Mental and Physical breakdowns
Playing college sports pushes your mind and your body to a level it's probably never reached before. The physical breakdown comes with injuries, soreness, and pure exhaustion. Even if you've never been hurt a day in your life, you will know the ins and outs of the training room better than your own room by the end of the first year.
Muscles will probably ache that you didn't even know existed. Mentally, the stress and pressure to perform can push even the most serene and practical individual to the edge. You'll probably cry at some point too, but you've got teammates to help you through it, and it will get better. After all, you're only a freshman.
8. Getting on the same page with your coach
During the recruiting process, the coaching staff for your future team was probably doing anything and everything they could to convince you that their program was the best fit for you. That's probably still the case, but you really won't know what the team atmosphere and the coaching dynamic is until you're thrown right into it. I mean, actions speak louder than words, right?
Sometimes it can be hard for new athletes to develop a strong rapport between their coach, and it can be hard to understand what exactly their expectations and perceptions of you and the rest of the team are. At the end of the day, it's best to just control what you can control because eventually the coach will get to know and see the real you.
9. Hazing/ fitting in with upperclassmen
Now, the NCAA has a strict no-hazing policy, and for the most part, teams adhere to this. However, hazing doesn't have to necessarily entail something crazy like some big-time fraternities and sororities pull-off. Instead, it can be subtle; more along the lines of freshmen getting teased and joked about (all good-natured, of course) or being convinced to dance or sing at team parties and such. Even without the concept of hazing, it can still be hard for freshmen to fit-in with their older teammates.
If you think about it, a red-shirt senior on a team might be almost 24 years old whereas a freshman is only 18. That's a pretty significant social-age-gap to overcome in order to bond. Some upperclassmen make it easier to connect with than others, but it still takes a pretty good amount of effort from the freshmen figuring each former player's personality and style out.
10. Catching up
You prepare your whole life before that first semester of your freshmen year to be able to play at that college level. However, even if you come in at the best shape of your life until that time, there are still teammates who have worked just as hard but for an additional two, three, four more years.
They know the program's basic system, they've had time to strengthen their bodies and fundamentals, and they've undeniably faced a higher caliber of competition than you have. It can feel intimidating at times, but it's certainly a beatable obstacle.
I could make a list twice as long of all the 'pros' of being a college athlete. After all is said and done, getting the chance to continue your athletic career at a university where you're also able to receive a great education is a rare blessing that shouldn't be taken for granted. While we vent and complain to each other often, we can't forget to take the good with the bad and really stop and appreciate everything that we have. I have a little under 4 months left as a freshman and I can't wait to see what the next three years have in store.
