At most colleges, the divide between the "athletes" and "the non-athletes" is pretty clear, and for the most part, both athletes and non-athletes are content with such a segregated dynamic. However, for some students, the adjustment is not as easy. For the former High School student-athlete who opted out of college sports, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, abandoning his/her identity as an "athlete," can be extremely hard to swallow. Adapting to a life of a "non-athlete" can be a long, awkward process, and losing the daily benefits of being apart of a team can worsen the blow.
Here's what we miss:
5. Getting to Rep Your Colors
Although competition is nerve-wracking, it's hard to deny that competing for your school, whether with a team or individually, is a unique experience. Representing your school not only instills an athlete with feelings of self-importance; it connects him or her with the and tradition associated with her school. In short summary, the ability to say you "play college sports" is something anyone would be happy to brag about.
Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator
4. Required Time Management
Being part of an athletic team–regardless of collegiate level–is extremely time consuming, and the accumulation of early-morning lifts, practices, travel, and academics imposed on student-athletes require that athletes find a near-perfect balance of their athletics and academics. In short: for athletes, procrastination is no longer an option.
3. Physical Fitness
With daily practices, lifts, and workouts, both bench players and starting athletes can rest assured that their daily cardio goals will be met, and that they can spend off-days in bed with Netflix and a tub of Ben & Jerry's.
2. Freedom to Eat As Much You Want
When you're burning 1500 calories a practice and 500 calories during each morning lift, you are entitled to some serious carbo-loading when you finally make the trek to Dhall. For an athlete, as long as your daily diet isn't dominated by plates of french fries and brownies, it's safe to bet that you'll maintain that killer bod.
1. A Group of 30 Friends from the Get-Go
Nothing makes the transition from high school to college easier than a great group of friends, so having an automatic squad of 30+ doesn't hurt. College athletic teams work hard and play hard together nearly 7 days a week: from 6:00am lifts, to grueling playoff runs, to binge-eating and having movie-marathons on weekends, teammates support each other, and stick together through every hurdle college presents.
