One of my friends who plays D3 lacrosse at Longwood University just shared this article on Facebook. I’m a casual Facebook browser and never read much of the things people post (sorry, but true) but this article caught my eye. It’s called “A Letter to Every College Athlete” and written by former University of Arizona track runner, Tamara Pridgett. She talks about what it means to be a college athlete: the time; the dedication; the ups and downs; and the commitment to your school, the community, and ultimately, yourself. Pridgett wrote this article in her blog and the reason I liked it so much was that it was just her plain, honest opinions and the raw emotions she felt as she went through her collegiate athletic career.
I read through the entire article and I have to admit, by the end of it I was just genuinely sad. I love my major, I love learning more about things I’m passionate about, and I love the career path I’m on, but sometimes I just have to wonder: what could have been? Could I have been a collegiate athlete?
I played softball and lacrosse from a very young age and loved nothing more than getting on a field, getting dirt stains, and batting and shooting as hard as my little muscles would let me. I wasn’t the fastest or the strongest, but I had an unwavering love for the sports I played and a nasty, competitive drive that I – as did some of my coaches – genuinely believe could have gotten me far. Now when I say ‘far’ I’m talking maybe D3, not D1 (I’m a dreamer, but let’s be real).
If I could go back and tell 13-year-old me anything, it would be to suck it up and commit. Yes, that’s harsh and unrealistic, but when I go to Virginia Tech Softball and Lacrosse games a little part of me aches. I’m not delusional enough to think I could have made a division 1 roster, but if I had thrown a few more balls every day or played wall ball for 20 extra minutes, who knows if I’d be in that stands still, or on the field.
I thought sharing this article would be an interesting note to end my class blogs on because Topics in Sports Communication has given me a lot of perspective. We’ve learned the sacrifice college athletes make physically, mentally, and academically, just to name a few. We’ve learned the dedication and persistence it takes to strive for greatness, and the ways in which that greatness can raise you up or strip you down. For many people, myself included, sports are more than just a hobby or thing to do to pass the time; they’re a way of life. This course has only reaffirmed the reason why I want sports to play such a huge role in my future life and career and I’m thankful for the eye-opening discussions it has allowed me to experience.