Being an athlete isn't easy. Training is frequent, long, and difficult and competitions often overlap with classes and require you to complete a heavy make-up workload. Fortunately, your team will stand beside you through the highs and lows that life as an athlete brings and you support each other in ways that only teammates can. Without them, you wonder if you would even be sane.
11. They're the people on campus who you interact with most frequently.
You see them at every practice, every team meeting, every athletic event, and nearly every mealtime. When you're a first-year, they'll help you find your way around. When you're a senior and no longer have a meal plan, they'll swipe you into the on-campus dining hall. Can you say "squad goals?"
10. They understand your crazy schedule because they share most of it with you.
Wake up. Train. Go to class. Train. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. The cycle never seems to cease (and neither do the shocked reactions that you get when people find out that you have to wake up when it's still dark out every morning). Your teammates are the only people who won't ask you to hang out in the middle of a workout and who can truly empathize with you when the going gets tough.
9. They've seen you at your absolute lowest points.
Whether it's trying not to cry in a seven-minute ice bath or walking home from a tough morning workout while looking like Samara from "The Grudge" (pictured below), your teammates are there for all of it. After all, friends who need to stop and take a break halfway up the stairs together are friends who stick together.
8. They stick with you until you're back at your best.
When you're dehydrated and everyone looks like they have three heads, they'll force-feed you water and electrolytes. When you're disappointed in your performance at a competition, they'll give you advice and help you reach your next goal. Your teammates understand better than anyone not only how hard you've worked, but also how easy it is to get stressed out when you're down. They're the perfect people to help pick you back up.
7. They tell you when you need an attitude adjustment.
Sometimes your teammates are a shoulder to cry on and an ear to vent to. At other times, they're a voice of reason. They let you know when you need to be more confident, more positive, and more focused so that the team environment is one in which everyone can succeed.
6. They motivate you like no one else can.
They're the ones who are by your side at every practice and every competition. They congratulate you when you perform well, tell you to keep your head up when you perform poorly, and push you in workouts to be the best that you can be.
5. You help each other out when you're in a pinch.
When you need assistance putting on your racing suit (or other difficult sports gear) at the last minute, they've got you covered. When you're sick and miss a class that you share with some of them, they'll send you notes. When practice needs an enthusiasm boost, they'll blast their best playlist from the closest speakers. You all have each other's backs.
4. You have some of your biggest laughs with them.
Sometimes the puns, memes, and videos that get shared in the team group message have you busting your gut for days. At other times, the silly things that you guys say when you're all delirious from a grueling training session or a long competition crack you up on the spot. Regardless, your teammates are the ones who make you laugh until you feel like you've done an extra ab workout.
3. Your friendship extends outside the realm of your sport.
You don't have to be at the pool, on the field, or in the gym to enjoy each other's company. In fact, sharing a practice schedule means that you're pretty much always free at the same time. You can do just about anything together: movie nights, birthday celebrations, fancy dinners, casual dinners (anything involving food), and study sessions. You and your teammates will often even attend each other's graduations and weddings.
2. They make it a little bit easier to drag yourself to that morning workout.
No one really wants to wake up at 5:00 in the morning. Even if you love your sport, it's tempting to turn that alarm off and go right back to sleep. However, knowing that your teammates are in the same boat as you, even if you're all part-zombie, helps you drag yourself out of bed instead of hitting "snooze" 12 more times. You're going to be glad that you did when you're on the cusp of winning a big meet. These tough midseason workouts often only serve to make you stronger and bring you closer as a team.
1. They're your second family.
You endure the ups and downs of being athletes together. Your teammates help you remember why you love your sport in the first place and they understand you like no one else can. In the end, your relationships with your teammates are some of the most important and lasting bonds that you'll ever have.
