Being a Student Athlete

I am going to take you through an average week of fall ball. This week, in particular, is the 4th week of September. Starting on Monday I woke up at 5am so that I could get up to the turf and be ready for our 6am speed and agility session, following that we a 6:45-8:45 team practice. On Tuesday we have a lift at common hour, from 12:30-1:45. Then on Tuesday, we have practice from 3:30-5:30. Wednesday is our off day of the week. So that day is when I catch up on any work I need to do. Thursday's were our longer days, we have a lift at common hour, practice from 5-6:45pm, and then conditioning from 6:45-7:30.  Friday was another day of waking up at 5am, where we had a 6 am lift and a 7am practice. I got used to waking up that early and loved having the rest of my day free to do what I wanted. Finally, some weekends over fall ball we would have tournaments versus teams in and out of our conference. That is a little glimpse into a week of fall ball.

There are many things that come with being a student-athlete at Slippery Rock. On my team specifically, it means yoga, lift, speed and agility, doing individuals, team practices and classroom sessions. Also in order to keep us on track with our grades, if you have below a certain GPA you will have to do a specific amount of hours at study tables. At times this may seem like a lot but each of these things has an important purpose and will, in the long run, help us become better versions of ourselves and better players. Personally, I love how structured and scheduled everything is because it helps me manage my time a lot better and keeps me from ever getting bored. I could not see myself not playing a sport in college, and I am so grateful that I get the opportunity to be on this team. I have learned so much from my coaches and teammates in just the last 3 semesters and can not wait to learn more.

Hi, my name is Molly Buettner and this blog is going to be about my life as a student-athlete. First, I am going to talk a little bit about my athletic background. I started playing sports in Kindergarten when I joined a co-ed soccer team. I played soccer all the way up until 7th grade. I started basketball in 1st grade and played basketball up until 8th grade. I stopped playing soccer in 7th grade because one of my friend's mom persuaded me to try field hockey, which is the same season of soccer. I started field hockey in 7th grade and played all the way through my senior year of high school. Finally, I started to play lacrosse when I was 8 years old in a local community rec program but then joined a club team in 6th grade. I now play lacrosse on the collegiate team at Slippery Rock and can not see myself doing anything else. All of these sports have brought me so much, friends, great coaches, and many life lessons.