It’s Friday night, and I am drinking—a lot. No, not alcohol, rather water and Gatorade. It’s hydration station in my dorm room, as my roommates and I prepare for our Saturday morning track meet. While I can hear partygoers screaming and going out from outside my window, I am stretching out my hamstrings and crawling into bed by 10 PM. It’s times like these when I really regret being a college athlete. But then, when my track team wins conference championships and I get to celebrate with my team, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Being a college athlete requires a discipline that other college students may not entirely understand. It’s not just the about missing the Friday night social outing and Saturday hangouts; being a varsity athlete requires an extra work ethic during the week. A two-hour practice, plus supplement one-hour lift, pool and yoga sessions throughout the week, leaves less time for studying and socializing with friends. I run track, so every Saturday is spent at a ten hour meet somewhere two hours away, lending little time to homework and making me far too exhausted to go out some Saturday nights. I find myself a little bit more strapped for time then some of my peers, and have to sacrifice some girls’ nights to buckle down and get some work done.
While track definitely eats away some hours out of my week, I find that practices actually help to structure my day. Being responsible to be somewhere in college is rare, but actually helps me manage my time wisely. Because I have to devote so many hours to practicing, procrastinating is (almost) diminished from my daily schedule. Having two hours of my day carved out for physical activity gives me an outlet from school stressors, allowing me to refocus and energize going into long nights of studying. Sometimes we have practices in the mornings well, so I am more motivated to go to sleep early and not binge watch Breaking Bad on Netflix. I am also inclined to have a healthier, complete diet in order to maintain peak physical wellbeing. Cutting out Ramen (except during finals when it is necessity, of course) makes me feel and look healthier. The structure that a college sport adds to my schedule helps to keep me grounded.
Though I have to make time to see other friends, track has introduced me to a team that has become more like a family my past two years. We work hard and push each other during practice, and even though track is a more individualized sport, we rely on each other to meet personal goals in order to eventually succeed as a team and win championships. My team has taught me about dedication and motivation, and has reminded me that things rarely come easy. Being on my team has also reinforced the idea that hard work triumphs talent: together we convert hard work into achievement, and celebrate each other’s successes together. I didn’t really understand how to be genuinely happy for another person’s successes, rather than jealous and “fake happy” for them, until I was a member of such a positive team that worked hard for each other rather than for themselves.
I would be lying if I said that I never missed out on anything due to my commitment to the team, because I most certainly have. There have been various sorority functions that have passed in my absence, review sessions that I have had to make up and other opportunities that have I have missed. However, I have never regretted the experiences that I have had with my team, and I truly believe that, while they are not the typical college experiences, they are ones that have shaped me into the person, and college student, that I am.
Photo Credit: Paula Heacok