You're not just a student, but you're an athlete as well. This means that your life not only includes school work, but it includes everything that you have to do for your sport- which can tend to be a lot. You live a very tiring life. Your days are busy, and your months are packed full of practices, team gatherings and meets/games etc. Your sport isn't just your sport, but it's your job, and it's your life. It's one of those things that takes so much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears, and yet you couldn't imagine doing life without it.

1. You know early mornings far too well (and you hate them)

It happens at least once a week, when you have to set your alarm at some unholy hour of the day, and wake up and be ready to run, lift or do whatever it is you do, before the sun has even risen. It’s pitch black out, and cold, and you’re grumpy, but it’s over before you know it.

2. The weight room, gym and training room are your second homes

You’re there for at least two hours each day, doing practices, training sessions, or even just meeting with your coach or some of your teammates, you live at these places and know everyone who works there.

3. Ice baths are one of your best friends

Because it’s just so fun to freeze your butt off when you’re already hurting enough already. No pain, no gain?

4.Your days are packed with practices, lifting sessions, classes and team meetings

You’re constantly running from place to place, and grabbing food in between, with barely any room to breathe, let alone sleep. Your sport is your job. Your sport is your life.

5. After your practice or game, you want to eat everything in sight

You go through food like no other, and don’t stop until you’re on the floor and can’t move.

6. You’ve used the words “I can’t I have practice/game” more than once

Your best friends know how busy you are when you can’t attend normal day to day activities because of your constantly busy schedule. And then you get to watch your friends have fun while you stay home and sleep.

7. You’ve become friends with at least one of the trainers

They’ve helped heal you back to health, taped your feet, ankles and other injured body parts- and for that, you will always be truly grateful.

8. At least one part of your body hurts at all times

It gets to the point where you’ve come to accept that part of you will always be in pain. It’s a fact of life when it comes to sports.

9. Teachers do not care that you’re an athlete, nor do they care if you have to miss class for a sport related activity

They’ll tell you on the first day of classes that they do not care if you are an athlete, if you miss class it’s on you, and it’s your own responsibility to make up whatever you miss. They’ll also hand out as many assignments as they want, without a care in the world relating to how busy you are.

10. You have to plan your life out around your practices, games and meetings

Picking classes around practice times, lifting sessions and meetings is pure hell. Especially when the one class you need for that semester is offered directly in the middle of your practice, leaving you exhausted most of the time.

11. Weekends are never truly weekends

You have a meet, a game or even early morning practice, destroying the theory that weekends are relaxing and meant for sleeping.

12. Your team is your family

You love them, sometimes you hate them, but your team is the family you can no longer picture your life without. You do almost everything with them, and have come to picture your day to day life with them - even if they annoy you half the time.

13. As much as you hate how much time you have to put in, you love your sport

There is a reason you have kept up this long, and the true reason is that you have a deep love for the sport that you play, that’s what keeps you going, and you couldn’t picture your life without it.