When I was growing up, my mom always taught me that one of the most important things in life is to surround yourself with positive people to support you, bring you up and love you. Going into college, I always kept this thought in the back of my mind, and when I got here, I found exactly that. And not surprisingly, I found it with the nine girls I basically spend every living moment with… my team.
Who else better than the people who are basically living the same life I am? We have the same schedule every day… class, workouts, practice, running. The usual. We share in the love of the sport, and in the hate on those days when we just can’t. The dread over the painful words, “Get on the line girls!” is mutual. The late nights doing homework because practice ran late would be so lonely without them. The constant state of exhaustion and soreness is shared on a spiritual level. They get it, probably better than anyone. We all hate how much we love the sport and know we could never live without it… or each other. Because playing just wouldn’t be the same. Life just wouldn’t be the same.
Breaks are the worst because we aren’t together. We kind of end up missing those endless bus rides, long tournaments, tiring practices, and maybe even the sprints (kidding, completely kidding). Life feels so empty without the crazy people making me laugh until I can’t breathe over things that are probably really stupid to other people. The strange looks we get sometimes over the loudness at team dinners… Classic. But who cares? Because if we’re having fun, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Yeah, we’re probably annoying, but could our friends imagine college if we weren’t there? Probably.
Having a team gives you automatic best friends. You bond over the little things, like walking to class together and Starbucks dates. And the important things, like the love of the game and free Chipotle during tournaments. Mostly the free Chipotle. You literally have people to do everything with. Need a lunch date? Ask your team. Need someone to go the store with you? Ask your team. Need someone to talk to? Ask your team. Need to vent about the guy who hurt you? Ask your team. He’ll really regret it. They will always be there, they know what you’re going through, and they always want to help. No matter what.
Not only does having a team help you attempt life, but it helps you play your best. The whole team has the same goal: be the best of the best for your school. Everyone works hard, and everyone works together. Being a student athlete comes with high expectations, and having your team to help you live up to those standards makes everything so much easier. Although you may not make it through that last lap, can’t finish that last rep, or feel like you can’t finish the game, you’re all in it together and it’s all making you a better team each day.
But at the end of day, all the running, the constant exhaustion, forgetting the feeling of not being sore, the late practices… they’re all worth it when your sitting (or lying on the floor crying in pain) around the locker room with your favorite people… just living the dream.
