1. Academics really do come first

In D3, your coaches and the whole athletic program care the most about how you are doing in the classroom, then how you are doing on the field, court, ice, etc. You are truly a student before an athlete, and that is what you came to the institution for. At Endicott, all athletes are held to the standard that they must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be able to compete, and every athlete is required to have a full class load of at least 12 credits. Coaches are constantly checking their player's grades, and if they are struggling then they are a resource to help them get the help that they need. There is also not a restriction on the majors that athletes can be in D3. You have the opportunity to play your sport and be in the program that you want. Nursing majors can still do their clinical with athletics and the same goes for education majors and their student teaching. Missing practice for a class is also okay in division 3 because it is your education that really comes first.

2. It is the perfect balance of fun and intensity

I believe that in Division 3, teams are able to achieve the best balance of having fun, but still being able to stay intense and compete. For example, on our field hockey team, every Friday our warmup for practice is an intrasquad game of handball. Once we even played against the women's soccer team in handball. The best part is that in those 15 minutes of handball we will be laughing and having fun, but then right after we could be in an intense drill or running sprints to stay in shape for competition. I feel that it is Division 3 that is really able to offer that, and it is truly unique.

3. Athletes still have the time to be involved with other things on campus.

Along with playing for the field hockey team, I am a part of nine other clubs and organizations on campus, without playing division 3 I would never have the opportunity to do that. The D3 schedule is a lot, but it is manageable. If you are an athlete that uses good time management skills then you can absolutely also be involved in other things, and it is encouraged. I personally take so much pride in the things that I am involved in other than field hockey, and it is those things that I have met some of the best people and gained so many friends.

4. There are no dietary restrictions involved.

In division 3, we are encouraged to eat healthily, but unlike some D1 programs, we have not issued devices like fitbits and told to count our calories and be on a strict diet. In our field hockey program, our coaches are the most adamant about us getting all of our necessary meals for the day in so that we have the energy to do our best. They do not care if we treat ourselves, in fact, once our coach even surprised us and canceled practice and took us out for pizza.

5. You are not bound to your sport

Because there are no scholarships involved for division 3 athletics, the athletes are not contractually bound to their sport. So, if the program does get to be too much for you or you do stop enjoying it, then athletes can quit. Unfortunately, this is something that does happen frequently in division 3, but it is good for the athletes to have this opportunity to make the decision for themselves.