Coming upon my senior year of D3 college softball at UTD, I’ve reflected upon all my memories and thought you should know eleven of the biggest takeaways I got from my experiences as a student-athlete. They are in the order I learned about them when going through my first year of college. Some I have done and some I only wished I knew to do. Since I was the first of my siblings to play in college, there were so many things I had to find out on my own. But nonetheless, I have enjoyed my time here at UTD and only hope that this advice will help those that are thinking of playing or are already committed to playing. If you have already been through it, reminisce with me.
1. Don’t be afraid to go to a four-year college.
Some choose not to go to a four-year college so they can get their basic courses out of the way while playing at a junior college. They think that way is easier and then they can put off their decision of where they actually want to play and earn their Bachelor’s degree from. I thought about junior college, but soon realized I had so many college credits from dual credit and AP courses in high school, that the academic part of junior college would be a waste. While junior colleges are great for those who do not have any incoming credits, four-year colleges are just as nice. With a four-year college, you won’t have to worry about transferring credits or going through the recruiting process all over again or the dreading feeling of having to make all new friends. So don’t be afraid to commit to a four-year college, if the school is the right fit for you then taking all your courses here shouldn’t be a problem.
2. Focus on your schoolwork.
Make sure you are going to this college because you enjoy the school, not just the athletics. I have seen so many people transfer because they didn’t actually like the school they were playing for. Remember that you are here to get a degree, which is setting you up for the rest of your life.
3. Be prepared to condition, wherever you go.
I HATE RUNNING. That’s what all athletes say, but the truth is you have to enjoy it at least a little bit or you wouldn’t be continuing to run and workout in college. I thought I could be sneaky, and base part of my decision of where I wanted to go on the workouts. But the truth is, you can’t get away from them! Just remember when you’re running twenty gassers, three miles, or suicides that this is making you a better athlete. You only have four more years of this anyways so why not go all out.
4. Don’t think you will be able to cook your own food.
The MEAL PLAN, the greatest thing that will ever come into your life. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the food actually sucked and I resorted to Whataburger on many occasions but now that it is gone I miss it so much. I was stupid enough to think that I would be able to cook my own food and replicate those same Sunday dinners at school. Wrong. As a student-athlete, eating becomes the most precious time of the day. You don’t have time to waste preparing the meal. You just want to EAT. The combination of school, workouts, and practice exhaust you to the point where the last thing you want to do is chop vegetables. So my advice is to stick to the meal plan for as long as you can. Having a meal ready for you straight out of practice is way better than the eight fish sticks waiting in your freezer
5. Don’t even bother bringing regular clothes.
You can always tell who the athletes are at your school because they are the ones wearing shorts and t-shirts every day to class. I thought I was going to break this trend, but again I was mistaken and sucked into conforming to college athlete life. I even tried to get my mother to buy me a whole new “college wardrobe”. As an athlete, you gather so many school t-shirts anyways from various events so you end up wearing those have the time to class. I practically wasted my time by bringing two tubs full of clothes that I hardly even wore. My advice is to trim your closet down. Keep the regular clothes to a minimum but you can never have enough athletic clothes.
6. Make friends with other athletes your freshman year.
Thousands of students walking around campus and not recognizing a single face can be a bit overwhelming. That is why it’s good to make friends with other athletes. You will automatically become friends with your own team but finding someone who plays a different sport is always refreshing. My freshman year, I met a couple of people from the Men’s Golf team and we soon became best friends. Although they weren’t the exact same major, having someone going through the same thing helps you not feel overwhelmed and stressed. Study groups and cheering each other on at your games aren’t bad either. These people you meet will hopefully be with you for the next four years and maybe even turn into life-long friends.
7. Utilize the training room.
Don’t be afraid to voice your injuries, and I mean anything that is even slightly hurting. Working through the pain does not make you tougher. Taking care of your body is one of the most important things to do as an athlete. The trainers are there to help you, and there are so many new advances that you can do some pretty cool stuff too. In high school, I never iced my arm as a pitcher but now I’ve done everything from cupping to compression pumps, all because it is available to me for my benefit. So if you have never iced before in your life, get used to it now.
8. Go to the other athletic events.
When you go to a school like mine, the only fans are parents coming to watch their precious baby play. Parents are great but they aren’t FANS. They aren’t the ones that will scream at the top of their lungs for a point, run, etc. And I know athletes can yell so get out there and support your other teams. I know they will appreciate seeing you there and will return the favor. At UTD, we all try to support each other as best as we can, even if that means going to a soccer or basketball game in our softball pants with our gear on our backs. After all, this is one of the last times you’ll get to watch a live athletic event for free.
9. Get to know your teammates.
This might be a given but you’d be surprised at how many athletes who don’t actually know their teammates. Their athletic ability is not is not what defines them. Get to know them outside of your sport, what they like to do, etc. You would hate to miss an opportunity on getting to know someone that shares this awesome privilege with you of getting to play a college sport. I feel as though I missed out on some great upperclassmen my freshman year. Although I knew them, I didn’t know much about them and now that they are gone, it is rare that I get to see them other than through their posts on social media. I wish I could go back and get to know each one of them better.
10. Get to know your coaches and athletic administration.
Your relationships with your coaches are important. If you can’t get along with them then you might want to rethink your decision to play there. The main thing to remember is that your coaches are people too, they are not there to destroy your lives. They not only want to help you on the field but off the field as well. They want you to succeed in life. The same goes for the athletic administration. They would love to get to know the athletes that they help as well, the stuff they do is for you! I’ve had the privilege of getting to know my athletic director, as well as other admins and, they are awesome. I started to appreciate them and all that they do so I can be an athlete. Having a relationship with them can come in handy later when you need recommendation letters and references.
11. Have fun beyond all else.
As I said earlier, most athletes are here because of some part of them, even if it is so little, want to be here and play. If you are not having fun, then what’s the point? You’re not getting anything out of this, except the true enjoyment of the game and your teammates. You’re most likely not going to go pro so why waste your time on something you don’t enjoy. Playing in college will be one of your greatest memories. You won’t remember the all the scores, the morning workouts, or the long practices. You’ll remember the bus trips, the team meals, the relationships, and mostly the fact that you just had fun. You only get to play this sport competitively four more years, and then you’re done. Like no more, nothing, nada. So please make the best out it, you’ll thank yourself later.
If you already knew these things, then bravo to you! You are all set in making your college experience even better. I wish you all the best in your athletic career.
Feel free to post comments on more things you wish you knew before becoming a student-athlete!
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