If you are an incoming freshman student-athlete, congratulations! Your many years of hard work and dedication to your sport have paid off and the moment that you have been waiting for is finally here! You've endured a long, and sometimes grueling recruitment process, but you are finally at the school of your dreams continuing to play the sport you love! It's going to be a lot of fun and you will make memories that will last a lifetime! As I have just finished my first year as an astounded-athlete, I wanted to share some advice and information that I think will be helpful to you all!
Your team will be like your family.
I have been blessed to have incredible teammates that I love very much and I know many other student-athletes feel the same way. You will be with these people almost every day while you are at school and will make lasting memories. Even memories that don't seem like good ones at the time (tough conditioning, early practices, and long days of travel) can be made fun because you're spending them with your team! You will have a lot of inside jokes with your teammates and they will truly become some of the best friends you will ever have.
Work hard in the classroom and on the field.
A lot of student-athletes have found their school or chose their school because of their athletic recruitment, but the academics are still the most important part. Adjusting to college courses and their difficulty is not easy for any freshman to do, much less one with the busy schedule you will have. It is not always going to be easy or fun, but do your best to stay ahead on your schoolwork. Trust me, you will be very glad that you already finished your final paper before you play that conference game that goes into extra-innings the week before finals or your flight home from a tournament gets canceled. Before I went to college someone told me that being a student-athlete is like having a nine to five job. In those hours if you have free time, use them to get ahead on reading assignments or research instead of napping or looking at social media (guilty as charged). You have to learn to focus on your schoolwork in the classroom, but focus on your sport during practice and game times. It may take time to adjust, but once you find your own way to balance and separate the two, you will be successful in both realms! In the end you are going to school to get an education, so take the hard work and determination that you have used on the field and apply it to your studies, as well.
There are going to be days when you feel like giving up.
I am not going to lie to you and I am not going to sugarcoat college athletics. It is hard. A very small percentage of high school athletes go on to play a college sport, so you are in a small group across the whole nation. Playing a sport is great and a true blessing, but not every day is going to be easy. There are going to be times when schoolwork is difficult and you're not performing well in your games and you might question why you even decided to do this in the first place. In those times you have to remember the love for the game that has brought you this far. You have to make the game fun again and enjoy what you're doing. Remember that you have a great opportunity to continue doing what you love with teammates and coaches who love and support you too. You will always have more support than you think and there are tons of resources on every campus to help you when you need it!
Make friends with people who aren't athletes.
Don't get me wrong, most of my closest friends are either my teammates or other athletes, but it will be ice to be friends with people who have different interests. Try to branch out and talk to some of the people you have class with or always see in the dining hall! You will become friends with people you never expected to be close to, so keep an open mind! Other athletes will definitely understand your schedule, but finding friends with other common interests outside of sports is a great way to spread our wings. College is about meeting new people and growing through new experiences, so go for it!
Get your sleep!
When you are a college athlete sleep comes in short supply. Your average day will most likely be waking up early for lift, going to class, eating lunch, going to another class, going to practice, doing homework, and then going to sleep to do it all again the next day. When you get the chance to go to sleep early, do it! That new Netflix series may be tempting, but trust me you will enjoy the sleep more! And if you have a roommate that is a night owl, invest in a sleep mask and headphones with a nice "Sleepy Music" playlist. Your body is going to be exhausted, so staying hydrated and well rested is going to be the best thing you can do for your body!
Tell your parents "thank you" often.
Your parents are your biggest fans and moving to the collegiate level will be difficult for them too. They won't be able to see you and talk to you before and after every game. They have been invested in your athletic career for as long as you've payed so this change will be something entirely new for them. It was their support and encouragement that helped you to reach this level, so try to call them often and express your gratitude and love.
Enjoy every minute of it.
The majority of college athletes will not go on to play professional sports. So, for most of us these are the last years of our career. You never know when your last game will be, so approach every game as if it's your last. Although it may be frustrating when you won't get to go out or go to a campus event because you have a game, cherish the games because they are numbered. Believe me, time flies fast in college and you don't want to take any of that for granted. Have fun playing the game you love at this level and continuing to better yourself on and off the field!
I'm sure there is a lot more I could tell you, but the most important thing is to have fun and work hard. Reach out for help when you need it because you will always be able to find it. Good luck this year and good luck in your collegiate careers!
