Becoming a Spartan athlete isn’t something that just happens over night. It’s not like Spiderman, where he get bit by a radio active spider and all of sudden he’s saving New York City. No, MSU athletes practice every day with determination, strength and Spartan Pride.
In some ways, MSU athletes are the heroes that roam campus. Not only do they protect MSU territory in sports, but they sit with us in lecture halls, study with us at the library and live in dorms. They’re full-time students and full-time athletes – they’re student athletes.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to experience MSU sports from an athlete’s perspective,” Madison Traver, an MSU Rowing Team junior, said. “We’re all in the same boat and understand the day-to-day requirements our sports entail.”
Traver said some of those requirements include going to Jenison for a 6 a.m. lift, spending the better half of their Saturdays at practice or competition and the overall exhaustion of balancing 20 hours of practice a week with classes, homework, studying and the small bit of a social life they have when the rest is said and done.
For incoming freshman, the biggest challenge in college is balance and time management. MSU athletes face far more challenges than the average student. They attend long hours of practice everyday, stay healthy and all while maintaining their grades and making sure they can play their sports at the end of the day.
MSU football player Gerald Holmes is currently a junior studying studio art.
“One big thing that incoming athletes should know is that you’re on a full-ride scholarship but that wasn’t given to us, we had to work hard for it,” says Holmes.
He said having determination in both academics and athletics is a must as a student athlete.
“Focus on your sport and focus on your education.” Holmes said.
Student athletes get to do more than your typical MSU student. They travel all over the state and U.S., get MSU Nike gear and get to compete in the Big Ten.
Jessica Lang, a sophomore gymnast, said it’s crucial to appreciate the moments a student athlete experiences.
“My first year went by really fast and I know that the next three years are gonna go by even faster so just appreciate everything that you are given while you have it,” Lang said.
To the incoming athletes: you are about to have the experience of a lifetime. Whether you’re a freshman or an upperclassman deciding to give college sports a shot, you have been given an opportunity not many people get to experience. College sports help develop your character. They teach you accountability, focus, diligence and confidence.
So as you start your Spartan athletic career, give it your all and never look back.
“These will be the moments you’ll treasure for a lifetime,” Traver said.
