As a student-athlete attending Williams College, I find myself very busy. Despite being busy, I am truly grateful for being on the women’s ice hockey team because it also comes with a number of advantages:
- Friendships
Building friendships can be very difficult, especially if you attend a large school and don’t know anybody. By being on a sports team, you automatically have a whole team of friends that you can hang out or study with. Sports teams are often very close and spend a lot of time together so you will rarely feel lonely.
- Break from School
The workload in college is demanding but playing a sport is a great temporary escape. I never find myself worrying about tests or homework when on the ice. It’s often the best part of my day.
- Exercise
Being an athlete forces you to stay in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is good for your physical well-being and allows you to practice different forms of exercise.
- Road Trips
Most sports teams travel to away games by bus. This is one of my favorite parts of being on a varsity team because we get to visit a number of schools, bond with our teammates, and stay in hotels (As a bonus we sometimes get to skip school on travel days).