Friend's dad at the gym the summer after senior year of high school: "Where are you going to school?"
Me: "Ursinus College."
Him: "Your what? And I'm assuming you're playing softball there. What division is that?"
Me: Yeah, I'm playing! It's Division III."
With a disappointed look and sigh, he says "Oh...well you'll definitely play well there, then. Why didn't you choose to go Division I or II?"
There's nothing easy about playing a Division III sport in college. As opposed to Division I athletes where their main job at school is to excel in the sport they came there to play, Division III athletes attempt to be a successful student in the classroom in addition to performing well in their sport. Yes, the travel time for games is longer and the skill level is heightened in Division I athletics, but I've never felt like I needed something more intense. Going from class at nine, 10, and 11, then to the dining hall for five minutes to pack up a lunch for the bus, then to the locker room to change, then to a two hour bus ride for two away games where we don't leave until seven o'clock at night is exhausting. But I wouldn't change a thing. I can boast that the academics at most Division III colleges are, for the most part, more rigorous and challenging than most bigger Division I schools.That's why coming home at nine o'clock at night on a weeknight where you have an exam the next day and you haven't even showered yet is not for the faint of heart.
I play a Division III sport because I want to have time to excel in school. But I also play a Division III sport because I love to play and wanted to continue my career after high school at a competitive level with teammates and opponents who will push me to be my best. Why do we spend six to seven days a week busting our butts? Why do we wake up at five o'clock some mornings for early lifts? Why do we let our sleep schedule and social life suffer to attend practices and games to improve and represent our team well? We're not getting a dime to attend our school to play our respective sport because playing for the love of the game is priceless.
I couldn't imagine my life without this sport. I've made lifelong friends in my college teammates. Whether it be softball, volleyball, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, swimming, or any other collegiate sport, don't give those athletes a disappointed look when they say what division their school is because we'll always be proud of the hard work it took to get here.
