As a student-athlete, it's all about surviving through those non-stop, constantly on the go, sometimes 18-hour-long days. How you get through them...well that's another story.
When that 5 a.m. alarm goes off every single morning.
When you come home from practice and don't care what you're eating as long as it's semi-edible.
What you think you should look like after that god awful lift session.
When you're trying to figure out what conditioning is going to be that day...
...and then coach says those 2 dreadful words..."bring sneakers."
Basically what it looks like when you and your teammates have class together.
When your legs hurt so bad that you can't even make it 2 centimeters to the couch.
...and when it hurts to even pick up a pencil.
Water breaks, man.
It happens a few times a day, and it is OK. It builds character.
When they call your sport a "spring" sport, but in reality you play 90 percent of your games in what feels like negative degree weather.
Walking through campus after conditioning, lift, practice, repeat.
When coach gives you the day off.
After being up for 15+ hours, this is the only effort given in any night class.
Some days, we all just have the suds.
This is what a late-night trip to the library looks like, aka world's biggest failed attempt at being a DSA (Dedicated Student Athlete).
When you get the "you do look like an athlete" comment from random strangers and you just have to embrace it...regardless if it was meant to be an insult or not.
All you and your roommate can do after a long, rough day.
What off-days look like for most.
Rocking your groutfit religiously.
Okay, this one might be exaggerated, but, as much as some days stink, being a student-athlete at any school is an opportunity that anyone should take advantage of. You only get four years, so you might as well make the most of them.
