Exellence Essay, Research Paper

Expectations. That was the biggest

change that freshman golfer Marcia Perry

has taken on since she has begun her

collegiate golf career at the University

Wisconsin Oshkosh.

?I play a college sport, I am expected

to be good. It?s a lot to live up to at times,

but I love it,? Perry remarked.

“The time commitment is

unbelievable,” Perry said. “What used to be

an hour to two hours of practice is now three

to four hours everyday.”

This time commitment can be

demanding on any college student. College

athletes have to be able to balance their

schedules extremely well. Between classes,

practices, and the occasional free time with

friends, it can become very stressful.

Rachel Heitkamp and her roommate

Jess Peters are both members of the UWO

Swimming and Diving Team. Rachel enjoys

the risks of the boards while Jess is a fish,

lapping the lanes in the water. They both

agree the time commitment is the biggest

issue, but they also have noticed that the

competition is much greater. Not only are

the other schools tougher, but the

competition between people on the team is

almost equally intense. In college it is the

best with the best and the best against the

best.

Rachel was a little excited about

some other differences as well.

?One big plus is that the men and

women?s season are both at the same time.

That means the guys and girls train

together.?

So why exactly is this better?

?The guys are stronger and faster.

Working out with them pushes us even

harder.?

I personally have had my own

experience being a college athlete myself. As

a member of the UWO Women?s Basketball

Team I have learned what commitment truly

is. We practice for almost three hours a day

everyday of the week and we also lift three

of those days. At times it can feel more like

a job than a sport, but our love for the game

keeps us pushing.

I have found that the competition on

my team is unbelievable. Every person on

the team was a star at her high school. Here

there are five great players on the floor and

ten more on the bench that could fill in at any

time. The roles in college are understood

and everyone is working towards a common

goal.

Only a handful of high school athletes

are talented enough to move on to the next

level. Once they get there the can not only

rely solely their talent, but on their desire as

well. It can be very stressful trying to

balance athletics, academics, and other

activities.

Rachel may have summed it up best.

?You have to want it more than the

next person, or you will never make it. Once

you get here it?s all up to what is inside of

you and how you are willing to work. There

are sacrifices that need to be made along the

way, but it is all part of being a college

athlete.?