Whether it was playing for my high school team (Go Auburn Knights!) or playing at my first college game, I miss being a student athlete. I miss the long practices and the hard drills we always had to do, but what I miss the most is game day.
One of the only things I miss from high school is having the opportunity to play the sports that I love. I was so excited to get to high school to be able to play softball and volleyball since my middle didn’t have any sports after my sixth grade year due to the fact we were an art school. When I got to high school, this was my chance to be able to play the sports that I love. All four years of high school, I played softball, and for three years, I played volleyball.
What I miss the most from playing sports in high school are game days. These were the days I looked forward to the most. There was this excitement in the air from all of us. Waiting for the time when we could leave class for the games was the worst part, but when we were able to leave and get ready, the wait was almost worth it. Since we had to at times drive a long time to get to our games, it was always a great time on the bus ride there. Although sometimes the rides home weren’t always the best if we lost that day, we would always make the most of it. I miss being able to wear a jersey on game day to show my pride for not only my team but also my school. I miss the friends that I gained from playing sports in high school, and I even miss the ones I met when I had to transfer schools my senior year of high school.
I miss having the strict schedule that came with playing sports, whether it was in high school or college. I miss having the routine it provided. Even through practices at times were painful, hard and unbearable, I still miss them, and even with all of the injuries I accumulated from playing softball and volleyball, I wouldn’t change anything about it. I wouldn’t change hurting my knee my freshman year of high school, which still gives me problems to this day. I wouldn’t change all of the sprains I have gotten or even my first concussion I got my freshman year of college. (Okay, maybe I would I change the way I got it since it’s a little embarrassing, but that’s a story for a different time.)
Although I no longer have the set schedule of a team, the University of Tennessee at Martin brought me to my sorority, which has allowed me to continue to play continue playing softball, volleyball and other intramural sports. It makes no longer being a student athlete a little bit more bearable. Nevertheless, I will forever have a special place in my heart for Auburn Knights and MacMurray Highlanders.
Photo source: https://static.pexels.com/photos/54330/softball-baseball-ball-sport-54330.jpeg