Dear Newly Committed Athletes,
You did it! You survived countless years of the sport that you've grown to love and hate at the same time. You've made it through neverending car rides and painful practices with hopes of one day being able to call yourself a collegiate athlete. Now you have the opportunity to not only to further your education, but continue your athletic career.
Get ready for the best four years of your life. Your teammates are not only going to be like family to you, but friends you will have for years and years to come. Not only will you become friends with those on your team, but you'll get the chance to meet and socialize with other teams as well. Just imagine, you could meet a future NBA All-Star or Olympic gymnast.
It's not always going to be easy. You'll have to be able to balance early morning lifts, classes, practice, and a social life all on just a couple of hours of sleep. Sometimes you won't understand how you got through the day, but you WILL make it through. The practices are going to be hard, but you'll have your best friends there to lift your spirit- they know what you're going through, they are juggling it all too. There will be times when school is going to get so tough you'll feel like your brain is splitting in half, but you have so many resources as a collegiate athlete available to get you help. Plus, you have to keep your grades up if you want to be eligible. After a long and stressful week you'll (hopefully) have the weekend to unwind and go out with your friends. College is known for its crazy parties, but remember you are tied to your school and have a lot riding on how you behave on and off campus. You should definitely live it up in college, but getting into trouble could jeopardize your eligibility and your team's reputation. Always party responsibly.
Enjoy your last year of high school. You're about to begin a new chapter in your life where you're going to start being treated like an adult. This is all bigger than high school athletics. You're going to be representing a school with thousands of students in your year alone! You need to be responsible with your education and learn how to manage a strenuous schedule. Never give up, sometimes it will seem like classes are overwhelming and practice is unbearable, but you will get through the day. After your season is over you'll feel like you accomplished so much and you'll appreciate the new freedom until pre-season starts again.
Take advantage of all the opportunities that stand before you as a collegiate athlete and student. You were selected among thousands to play the sport you love in college. Appreciate the last few years you have left with your sport, they will fly by. Finally, keep a positive attitude- you're apart of the roughly 6% of high school athletes that go on to compete at the collegiate level. In other words, you're pretty freaking talented.
Sincerely,
A
Fellow Collegiate Athlete
P.S. Always remember to set your alarm - you'll thank me later.
