Welcome Blog Readers

Welcome Blog Readers

What do you do?

My name is Haley and I am a senior criminal justice major at Southern Utah University. I am also minoring in communications. I have been a member of the SUU softball team throughout my time at SUU. I would not trade my experience of being a student athlete for anything. It has been a rocky road leading up to my last season, but I feel that I am the most prepared I have ever been.

Why do you do it?

I began playing softball in 6th grade because I was an overweight 11-year-old who needed to find a way to get in shape. I tried many other sports, but nothing hit the spot for me. When I tried softball, I instantly fell in love the game. I continue to play because it creates many opportunities for me. Playing division one softball at an amazing university has opened many doors. I have gained relationships with teammates, coaches, fellow students, and my professors. I have obtained an education that will help me move up in the world when I am no longer an athlete. I play because I get to compete. I compete against five other girls for my position. Although I want to play, I like to cheer on my teammates because I know they work just as hard to get opportunities. I also play for my family. They have invested a lot of time and money to get me where I am today, which I could not be any more grateful. It excites them to see me do the thing I have worked so hard for over the years. Without them, I would not be the self driven person I am today.

How do you do it?

I am able to compete everyday because I hold myself at a high standard, keep my grades up to remain eligible, and keep my body healthy. It is a lot of work to be a student athlete, morning weights,  class, treatment, practice, dinner, then homework. It is a busy day for an athlete. Getting behind on school work and staying healthy can be very difficult. Being extremely busy, it is easy to eat whatever is the most accessible, which might not always be healthy. I try to stock my pantry with healthier choices. I also heat and ice A LOT this is very crucial to staying healthy enough to play my sport and reduce chances of getting injured.

How can you teach someone else to do it?

You cannot teach pride, heart, or talent. You can only teach skill. I can help grow the game by teaching pitching lessons and coaching when I graduate. I am very excited for that chapter in my life. I want to be able to inspire young girls to play a game that will help them in so many ways.

How does it make you money?

Being a college athlete, allows an opportunity to get most if not all of your school paid for. A lot of people think it is not fair for athletes receive large scholarships. I think it is important to express that athletes earn it. Leading up to college, our parents have spent a lot of money for us to play for elite teams. Elite teams also play in the top showcases and tournaments, which normally requires a lot of traveling. This is very expensive over the years. On top of being on the team and traveling, required equipment to play the sport adds up. It is also important to have a good GPA in high school so athletes can obtain a scholarship to the school they want to go to. Traveling a lot, also means missing a lot of school. It can be difficult to maintain school and sports.

Once athletes get to college, it is not just a walk in the park. We are required to keep our grades high, attend class, and give 100% of our energy to early morning weights and conditioning, and four hour practices. Once season starts and you miss every Thursday and Friday it is difficult to stay on top of school work. Most students think that it is just a vacation for athletes, traveling to cool places, and missing class. Yeah, it is fun, but it is business. We are required to study on the bus or in our hotel rooms while we are on the road. I can ramble on about this topic for a while, because a lot of people have opinions on this, but I will have a blog post regarding this issue at a later time.

What can you expect from my blog?

In this blog, I will describe what it is like to be a student athlete, constant struggle of always being tired and sore, the rewarding factor, and benefits of being a student athlete.

Why it's important to me?

It is important to me to create this blog because people get the wrong impression from student athletes. I cannot speak for every athlete at every school, because truthfully all of our experiences are going to be different, but I can give a  glance at what life is like for us.

Why does it matter?

This topic matters because a lot of people invest time to college sports. Whether it be football, basketball, gymnastics, soccer, or softball, people are always watching. College athletics provides many jobs. I want people to understand the footwork that goes into a game, which they view as entertainment, because it is more than just a game.

What I will provide you every week?

Every week will be something different. I plan on indulging you with new thoughts and ideas about life as a student athlete. There are so many great things to share, I do not even know where to begin.

Thank you for reading my blog.