Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with this week’s spotlight athlete. She’s cool, she’s hip, and she’s everyone’s favorite, but most importantly she’s the best big ever! Allow me to introduce you to Ms. Lauryn Amanda Brooks (AKA Lo). Lauryn is a Sophomore Biochemistry major from PG County Maryland and she plays softball here at Hampton. With over 60 college community service hours, this busy girl is on the University’s Dean’s List, a member of the Greer Dawson Student Leadership Program, Freddy T. Davy Honors College, and Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.
HC: Hey Lauryn! How are things?
LB: I’m great!
HC: Glad to hear it. Let’s get into this interview. So, Lauryn, softball seems to be your favorite sport. How’d you get into it?
LB: I actually began playing baseball first, and I first decided to play because I wanted to be like the kids I saw on TV playing at the Little League World Series.
HC: What other sports did you play growing up?
LB: I grew up playing softball, basketball, bowling, and running track. I gave up other sports to pursue softball at the college level.
HC: What position do you play here at HU?
LB: I play outfield!
HC: I bet life as a student-athlete can get hectic. What does the daily routine for Lauryn look like?
LB: My daily routine is a little hectic. I get up almost every day at 6 am and get ready. The team has weight lifting and conditioning from 6:45 am to 8 am. After the lift, I try to grab some breakfast and I go directly to classes. After my morning classes, I usually go to community service at the food bank for a few hours. Once I return from community service I run to the lab and I run to practice again. After lab, I go to any events or meetings for the organizations that I am in, and then I go home and do some work and repeat. But honestly this isn’t really a routine, my schedule changed every day because practice and meeting times are always subject to change. Athletes have a lot on their plate that other students do not see every day.
HC: You must have excellent time management. Can you share with us how you do it?
LB: Honestly with everything I have going on in my life, managing my time is extremely difficult. But I’d rather stay busy than to sit around and do nothing. I get bored too easily. My biggest help with managing my time is I carry around a small journal that I write down a to-do-list every day and I have a color-coordinated calendar on my phone that keeps me up to date. But getting really involved this year taught me how to prioritize and really figure out what is important to me. I dropped some clubs that I was in last year to make room for the ones that I truly enjoy. And yes, I am a little stressed with everything on my plate but I care too much about the organization that I am in now to drop any of them. I love SLP and Women’s Caucus both of these organizations have introduced me to some of my closest friends and brought me closer to my bigs and my littles.
HC: That’s very motivating. I need to get like you! So what is your personal goal for softball?
LB: I have set many goals for myself as a softball player. My main goal is to do anything in my power to help my team win the Big South Conference. But other than that, I really just focus on trying to get better every day and I hope to make the Big South all-academic team this year.
HC: Why did you choose Hampton to play for?
LB: I honestly did not want to play softball at Hampton, it just kind of happened. A big reason I decided to come here was that the university did a lot to help me to defer the cost of my education and the fact that my mother graduated from Hampton in 1987. My mother really pushes me to commit to Hampton and I am extremely grateful that she did. I do not regret my decision at all, the friends and the memories I have made here are irreplaceable.
HC: Well, I’m glad you ended up here! Who would you say is one person that has greatly influenced your softball career?
LB: One of the greatest people who influenced me in my softball career was my hitting coach Lea Ann Jarvis, I grew up going to her with the Softball Factory. She saw potential in me that many other coaches didn’t and she molded me into the player that I am today. Working and getting better with Coach Jarvis is probably the only reason I got recruited to play at the Division 1 level.
HC: Things can get stressful as a student-athlete. What keeps you motivated?
LB: What keeps me motivated is the fact that this is only the beginning of my life. I have done so much in my first 19 years of living and I have so much more to go. I really just want to maximize my time here. I want to do everything I possibly can while I am able, so I can’t look back and regret anything.
HC: What is your greatest fear?
LB: My biggest fear is the ocean, as humans we have only explored like 30% of it and we have no idea what else is out there. And people want me to go swimming in that, lol no.
HC: HaHa. I agree. I know you must have great workout playlists, who is your favorite artist?
LB: My favorite artist is actually a band called the Internet. I love them.
HC: I love them too! Syd is the goat!
HC: To conclude our interview, tell us who your favorite sports team is.
LB: My favorite sports team is, of course, the Washington Nationals.
There you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed getting to know our athlete of the week because I know I did!
Follow her social media: @lobrooks2