Being an athlete is all about dedication, passion, and commitment… to a sport. Every little thing we do revolves around our sport. From what we eat to how much we sleep at night. An athlete lives and breathes for the adrenaline that can only come from an insanely close win when we finally see our hard work pay off. We go through each and every day with a dread for practice, but when that time comes, we give that time on the court or field absolutely everything we have and leave it all out there. We seem to have absolutely no time for a life (trust me, we actually don’t), and dating, especially, proves harder than that last sprint after an exhausting practice. Everything about an athlete’s life revolves around time… when practice is, when we have to go to the gym, when we have a game. It’s hard to manage that and school together, let alone making sure we are awake and conscious in the free time we do have to spend with someone else. So here are a few things to keep in mind if you do decide to take the risk and date one of us (it’s worth it).

1. We are not the most flexible when it comes to time.

Sorry, but we’re going to have to pass to the spontaneous dates in the middle of the night… Workouts at 6 a.m. As much as we want to spend every free minute we have with you, there are things we have to do to make sure we are improving. You are going to have to understand that some days, there may be no time at all. Practice may run long and we still have other responsibilities to get to… like eating and attempting to have a life. So sorry in advance for all the times you will hear the words: “I’m sorry I can’t, I have practice.”

2. As much as we resist, our sport will influence our mood.

I had a bad day at practice? Oh no, I feel sorry for you. Lost a game I should’ve won? You better stay away. As much as we try so hard not to let the bad times we struggle through influence our mood, it will. Athletes hate to lose more than they like to win. They’re insanely competitive, and when it doesn’t go their way, all hell breaks lose. But when it does, we’re the happiest people around, so look forward to those days.

3. There are some things we can only get out of our sport.

We will be the happiest with you, trust me… but there are some feelings that we can only get from the game. There’s a certain satisfaction we can only get from getting through a hard workout and a tough 3-hour practice. The ecstasy we love can only come from perfectly doing a shot, move, or hit we have been trying for weeks and weeks on end. No one is there when we are beaten down, sweating, beyond exhausted, persevering through practice, it’s just us and the game. The adrenaline that we feel during a hype game, can only come from winning it. And as much love you make us feel, understand that there are some things only our sport can bring to us. And you need to let it…we’ll be happier people.

4. Our teammates are the most important people in our lives.

An athlete will do anything for their teammates. Absolutely anything. These are the people who live through the struggle with them. The people who understand what they’re going through better than anyone, and the people who want them to succeed more than anything. We are protective and possessive of our teammates, they are our number ones. Because without our teammates, there is no game. There is no point. They are the people we want in our corner, right on the edge of the court screaming for us to win. So please understand that we hold another level of love for our teammates, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care about you.

5. I promise, you'll score big time if you date us.

An athlete knows firsthand the greatness that comes from hard work, dedication, and passion. And they apply that to everything in their lives. An athlete will show you love like no other, because they know what it’s like to love something so much and they know what it takes to work at it endlessly to make sure that it’s perfect. They understand the countless hours it takes to make something work… whether it be a play or a relationship. They know better than anyone that passion is the only way to be successful and happy so you can have what you want. So trust me… dating an athlete will be challenging, but it will be the most rewarding game you will ever play.