There are definitely many things that I wish I could change about being a college athlete; like the hours of the dining hall, the conflicts between sporting events and classes, and the astronomical expectations placed on you by peers, coaches, parents, and professors to succeed in all aspects of college life. Sometimes, playing a sport in college just flat-out sucks. But I will never in my life say that I regret doing it.
I was lucky enough to play two Division III sports at a small school in Maryland, and I will never take any of the experiences I had for granted. When I graduated high school, I was extremely nervous. I knew where I wanted to go, and I knew that both the volleyball and softball coaches were going to give me the chance to play for them. They were aware that I expressed interest in both sports, and they were willing to work with each other as well as my class schedule in order to make it all work out. I made both teams, and eventually I was fortunate enough to be named co-captain of the volleyball team. But you didn’t start reading this article to learn about me; you wanted to hear about the life of a college athlete.
Being a duel-sport athlete is no small feat. I’m not gonna lie, you really need to know how to manage your time if you even want to consider pursuing a sport in college. Classes may not be very long, but I guarantee that you will spend an overwhelming amount of time outside of class working on essays, reading and annotating textbooks, and just trying to figure out what the fuck your professor is even trying to tell you. The library will definitely end up being your best friend. A typical day for me goes like this (this is what I did today): I wake up at 5:30 a.m., have some breakfast, throw on some clothes, and head to the gym for volleyball practice at 6:15. Practice starts at 6:30, so I have to be at the gym and ready by that time. After getting my ass kicked for two hours, I run back to the dorm to take a quick shower and change before heading to my class that starts at 9:25 a.m. I sit in three different classes and finally get out at 12:55 p.m., after which I eat lunch pretty quickly at the dining hall and try to get some homework done with the small amount of downtime I have. I then get changed again (that’s three times, for those of you keeping track at home) and head to softball practice at 3:15 for a 3:30 start. After that gets out, which is typically some time around 6:30 or so, I run to the dining hall and grab some food before it closes at 7:00. After dinner, I head back to my dorm and change for the fourth time, then run over to the athletic center to go to the gym for a quick 45-minute workout. When I eventually turn in for the night, I take a shower and finish whatever homework I have left over from that afternoon. I usually try to go to sleep before 11:00, but that doesn’t always happen.
That’s just a typical day for me, and that’s not even on a day when I have to work as a barista at a local coffee shop. Like I said, it’s just all about time management.
People ask me all the time why I do what I do. Sports have just always played such a major role in my life ever since I can remember, and I wasn’t going to stop playing once I went off to school. I’m 200 miles away from home, and sometimes I really end up getting homesick and wish my family were around. But I have to say, I play for two teams with 15 other girls on each team, and I have never felt more close to 30 other individuals in my life. I really am so lucky to have two other families when I’m so far away from home. There’s a bond between athletes that I really can’t compare to anything else, and I wouldn’t change my jock status for the world. So, if you’re thinking about playing college sports, don’t hesitate. Play that sport, and give it absolutely everything you’ve got. If you’re anything like me, you’ll never regret the fact that you did.
