It’s that time of year again. College athletes around the country have already begun the dreaded first stage of their respective sport: pre-season. Despite a long summer of difficult workouts, endless sprints, and the occasional pickup game, nothing can mentally prepare the college athlete for this part of the season. We all know that hard work pays off, but the two or three weeks prior to the first home match feels like a million years long. With that said, in honor of kicking off preseasons everywhere, here are a few struggles that should be familiar to college athletes of any sport:

1. 7 and 8am practices

If you think getting up at 8am for a class is hard, try digging a volleyball that early in the morning.

2. 3-A-Days

Can’t stop won’t stop, right?

3. When coach decides to give you a break and cancel a practice

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

4. Going straight home after a morning session and sleeping till the next afternoon practice

Play, sleep, eat, sleep, play, sleep, eat, repeat.

5. The training room becomes your second home

Home sweet training room.

6. The constant blow up of phone notifications from group messages

What time is practice again?

7. You rarely leave the gym with less than 4 ice bags

Ice on ice on ice...

8. Those first few days of sore muscles

When it hurts to move, you know you’re doing it right.

9. The daily decision of whether an ice bath is really worth it

10. Forgetting to shower after a practice or lift because you’re beyond exhausted

There’s a good chance 90% of the team did the same thing.

11. Conditioning days

Did summer workouts even happen?

12. Sand workouts

It’ll be fun Coach says… It’s not that bad Coach says…

13. Constant laundry

Spandex, socks, knee pads, ankle braces, sports bras, practice shirts, shin guards… You know, just the essentials .

14. Running lines

Every athlete’s least favorite part of practice.

15. Eating more than you ever have in your life

Constant snacking all. day. long.

16. Running out of adjectives to describe how tired you are

The dictionary is only so big.

17. Knowing that your team is tough enough to get through preseason together even though it sucks

#Squad

18. The mixture of joy, relief, and surprising disappointment when you realize that preseason is almost over and school is about to start

19. The first game of the season

As much as we hatee to admit it, preseason really is worth it in the end.