Being a student athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities, including classes, studying, weights and conditioning, practice, travel and games. If my teammates and I don’t learn how to juggle everything, we will fail, and not meet our team standard. 

 

With that, I have learned time management on another level. It isn’t me doing three assignments the morning before class. It's studying for midterms and completing assignments on the bus ride home, after a heart-breaking loss, when my mind and body just wants to shut off and take the break it needs. It's arriving back to campus at 2am, having to icebath and then getting up for my 8am class. It goes beyond prioritizing which tasks to complete when. 

 

It has always been high-stake, high-emotion, fast-paced, competitive and often stressful environment.  I have learned to hone these skills and used them to my advantage. I have put in endless hours working towards these qualities in order to be the best I can be for our team. 

 

It is eagerness to learn and reach the top and be the best I can be.  Through this journey, I have learned these skills, and as a result, understand the pursuit of these dreams.

 

I speak for most student athletes when I say, “Teach us, train us, believe in us and push us. We love a challenge.”