Some people say you shouldn't live with teammates. That it can ruin your friendships because spending that much time together can drive you nuts (which depending on the day I might agree with). Everyone warned me when I said I was living with my teammates next semester but to be honest it's been the best semester of my life.
At first, it's normal, you are so excited to be seeing each other more than usual and waking up to their bright and shiny faces in the morning. You have more dinners together, do work together more often, and have many late night ice cream and wine sessions. You don't understand why anyone ever told you that you shouldn't live with your teammates.
When the season starts, your relationship skyrockets to another level. You are spending every waking minute with each other, literally. Those 6:00 a.m. wake up calls are much easier when you know you all have to get up together and decided the morning prior you are driving over so you can get those 4 extra minutes of sleep. Your teammates start to think you guys are crazy. Sharing clothes, always showing up to practice together, not being able to go anywhere without your counterparts and doing some very questionable things together. You just kinda give them a look like, "sorry guys" and it is soon all too normal for them too.
When games hit is when you realize how valuable it is to live with them. School becomes so stressful. Papers and exams pile up and sleep are the lowest priority on the list. Professors are mad you are missing their class yet again for a game. At least one of you have a mental breakdown a day and you quickly learn what each of them needs when they aren't having a great day. You console each other after losses and celebrate the wins together.
By the end of it, you don't want to live with anyone else and you can't believe you ever did. The thought of summer is painful to think that you won't be living together for the next few months. You have albums full of pictures from nights out, bus trips, games, embarrassing Snapchat selfies, each other sleeping, and conversations you don't want to ever forget. So for all of those people who said it wouldn't work out. Maybe they weren't the best of friends anyway. For me, the two teammates I lived with will always have a special place in my heart.
Live with your teammates, so you can kill it on and off the field.
