A day in a NCAA Division I athlete's life is much busier than most people would think. Former college softball player Logan Wood talked with 2aDays about her everyday routine as well as what she found most important for her college career to go smoothly. While athletics are important, she emphasizes that academics come first and the time that needs to go into it. Here's what her packed D1 offseason schedule looked like. 

5:00-9:00 AM 

At the mid-point of the fall semester, Logan and her team have a structured schedule which starts with morning workouts. Logan would wake up at 5:00 AM, four days a week, to get dressed and ready for her 6:00 AM workouts. She had to arrive 15 minutes prior to the official start of workouts to begin a team stretch, avoiding any unnecessary injuries. The workout would last until 7:00 or 7:30, giving her enough time to eat a quick breakfast, shower, and get to her 9:00 class. 

Related: Breakfast for Athletes on the Go: Kale, Apple, and Carrot Smoothie

9:00 AM-12:00 PM 

With a 3.6 GPA, Logan always took her academics seriously as she worked towards her degree. After her team workout, she had classes from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. While Logan found time management difficult at times, she understood that it's something all  college athletes have to learn–and she did. “Student-athletes do not get all of the free time a normal student has the luxury of,” she explained. “So it's extremely important to manage the time you do have, well.” In college, having a planner really helped Logan stay on track.

Related: 5 Time Management Tips from a DIII Athlete

12:00-2:30 PM 

Once Logan finished with her classes, she would eat a quick lunch before her 2:30 team practice. Before she started practice though, she enjoyed pre-treatment with her athletic trainer as mental preparation. She explained how the trainers helped any injuries her and her teammates may have, as well as give her a couple laughs before she went out on the field. Her teammates would also join her in the training room and it became one of the last moments of mindless fun before preparing for practice. “Some of my most fun times have been in the training room,” she said.

2:30-8:00 PM

Practice began at 2:30 and ended at 6:00 PM. After practice, Logan would go to the training room to alleviate any bumps and bruises from practice. Logan occasionally ate with her teammates at their frequent “family dinners,” but if she did not she would make dinner for herself while finishing up any homework. Once her homework was finished, she would wind down with some Netflix (her fave was The Office). 

Related: 5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Schedule As a College Athlete

During her third year of being a Division I student-athlete, Logan almost had the balancing act down to a “T.” Her hardest transition from high school to college was the lack of her parents and their help compared to how it was in high school. “You learn quickly how to take care of yourself and do what you need to do to succeed,” Logan said, adding that it's important to be open to new things when you start college. Getting out of her comfort zone was what she needed to do to create some of her best memories with her teammates.

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* Originally published on February 1, 2023, by 2aDays Staff