We are who we are not just because of our genetic makeup, but also because of the environment that we are raised in. Traditions and norms are set in place from an early age and are encouraged to be followed throughout the entirety of ones life.

Sports. This word can have entirely different meanings to various groups of people, but to student athletes it’s universal. In one perspective it can mean a game that is watched on television or a game that you are participating in or even something that is talked about in casual conversation. There are various levels of athletics in society today, but arguably the most exciting is collegiate athletics. Regardless of the division, the desire for the game and intensity of the environment shine through and truly set this form of athletics apart from any other.

A big question that many people have is: why do collegiate student-athletes do what they do? Is it because of their passion? Tradition? Solidifying an education or to simply win a National Championship? There are a lot of different interpretations or opinions but honestly this varies from person to person. Taking that notion into consideration, all of those concepts are viable, but at the end of the day it comes down to love. This isn’t the goo-goo love that couples have on Valentines Day, but the love and commitment that athletes have for the game that they play. There’s no other explanation for why athletes would voluntarily wake up for early practices, do the extra workouts and just be immersed in their sport if they didn’t love it, even for something as simple as a game.

Student athletes commit to something that is so much larger than they are. It’s not just about them, but rather the connections that are made with teammates and the precedents that are set for people to follow in down the road. They are members of a tight-knit family lucky enough to play the sport that they love for an extra four years. This game is something that they fell in love with at a young age and one that is so ingrained into their being that it makes them who they are. The sport that acts as an escape sometimes from a world that is so easy to get a little overwhelmed in.

Athletes, for the most part are extraordinarily competitive, which really helps them out in the long run. Taking this into account, that competitive nature coupled with the sense of tradition and habit that the sport itself brings about leads them to want more. It causes them to work that much harder in the gym, push themselves in practice and to make themselves noticed. The blood, sweat and tears mean nothing unless a goal is accomplished. In the back of every athlete’s mind is the potential to win a national championship, it’s in his or her blood, and this mantra helps to push people every single day in order to be the best that they can be. On the other hand, there are other factors on the line such as an education through scholarships that keep athletes striving for greatness as well as just their pure love for the game.

Even though there are a lot of potential answers to the question posed, there really isn’t a concrete answer. But that’s okay, this just causes people to look within themselves in order to find answers.