CATCH UP ON ALL OF IZZY’S COLUMNS BY CLICKING HERE
Hi Wildcat Fans!
I wanted to share with you what the life of a student-athlete looks like and hopefully share some things you weren’t aware of. First off, I can say that we are spoiled, and life is made easier for us off of the field. I would like to also say that we work really hard every day to earn everything that we get. Starting off with some of the struggles we go through, we put so much pressure on ourselves which usually turns into performance anxiety and stress. Mental health is a huge topic for us athletes and it is one of the most important things I have learned how to deal with. My freshman year I thought nobody else cared about me and I was just trying to get through every day. Taking care of ourselves has become normal, so we have the resources to help us through anything we need. Handling school and softball can be a challenge if you don’t stay on top of everything. I think one thing that all of us struggle with is missing our families. Especially for those who are from out of state, they may only see their families a couple times a year. I am lucky to have my family here in town, but our time together is limited because I am so busy during the week. Our lives are dictated by when, what time, and where we need to be, so having plans doesn’t really happen unless we have the day off. We struggle with things but we also get a lot of perks from being student-athletes.
The best thing about college athletics, in my opinion, are the people. Every single person on our team would probably say the same thing. I love this game, but it wouldn’t be the same without my teammates, coaches, and all of the staff that surrounds us. I have made friends with people that will be in my life for a long time. Along with the people, we get our education paid for, we are in pretty good shape, we have a community to lean on and we learn life skills that will help us be successful in the future.
Our athletic department is one of the best in the country. As a student-athlete I truly feel like I have a voice here at Arizona and that I can make changes to better all of our experiences. Our administration is great at communicating with us and showing that we are valued on this campus. Being a student-athlete has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I will forever be grateful to this university and all the people that has helped me along the way!
Recommended for you
