There are many aspects of the college experience that are very similar for college students everywhere. Every student goes through changes and deals with new pressures, and responsibilities. Most are forced to cope with living away from home for the first time. Student athletes face these very same experiences, as well as added pressures. Student athletes deal with tough schedules, balancing class workloads with practices and games, in addition to having fewer opportunities to escape from the difficulties associated with college life. In most cases, student athletes must sacrifice a chance to go home to their families to remain on campus with their team; a major difference between students and student athletes.
When the stresses of college seem too tough to handle, many college students can rely on a break from school or a trip home for the weekend. They know that they have the opportunity to go home to familiar surroundings for a nice comforting home-cooked meal.
Student athletes do not always have this luxury and are forced to learn how to get by without seeing their homes and families for long periods of time. As a student athlete, this was something that I wasn’t sure I could deal with. I didn’t know if I could handle the pressures of not seeing my family and home. It wasn’t until my lacrosse team recently traveled to Maryland for a two-game trip that I realized just how lucky I was. Throughout the trip I witnessed a bond that can only be shared by the closest of individuals. This bond is what kept me motivated during the trip as well as throughout the season.
The Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team took a four-day road trip to Maryland last week to compete in two conference games.
On Friday, April 11, Quinnipiac played Mount St. Mary’s and on Sunday, April 13, the Bobcats played UMBC.
Although both games resulted in tough losses, 12-5 and 18-8 respectively, but as a team we gained a lot from our “road experience.”
The trip included two long bus rides that would have been miserable if it hadn’t been for the team camaraderie and bonding we enjoyed. Both rides, along with every experience the team shared on the trip were filled with laughter and good times. We used this opportunity to bond not just as a group of girls, but as a team, a cohesive unit and a family. The trip really showed me the tremendous amount of caring and support that my teammates and our families have for one another.
We were very fortunate to have experienced such caring from all the parents and friends who supported our team throughout our trip. Showing up for away games to cheer us on and throwing great post-game tailgate parties lets us know how much our families continue to support us during our college experience. We were even lucky enough to enjoy a home-cooked meal at a team member’s home in the Baltimore area. This was especially nice because it gave our team an unusual opportunity to experience the feeling and comfort of being at home, and that is definitely how we were treated.
By the end of our four-day trip, I realized that over the course of this year, I had gained a new home and a new family. All twenty-three players gained the care and support of a new extended family, our team, which is one of the strongest and deepest bonded units we will ever belong to. Along with this, every member of the team also gained the care and support of twenty-three other families, as well. I realized then, that this is how student athletes survive all those rough days and long, sometimes lonely breaks; by relying on the care and support of their teammates.
