Daily Grind articles are posted every Wednesday to provide a look into a day in the life of a college athlete and give an example of time management skills.
Cat Almeida is a DI Women's Basketball Player at Quinnipiac University who plays center and wears number 11. Cat is currently a junior at Quinnipiac and is expected to graduate in 2023. She's played basketball throughout most of her life and led her high school to multiple sectional championships before deciding to play at the collegiate level. Here is an inside look into her typical Monday.
6 A.M.
Every morning Cat wakes up at 6 a.m. to start her day. She takes some thyroid medication since she has been recovering from thyroid cancer.
9 A.M.
Time for film! Cat will get to the arena 10-30 minutes before depending on if it's a film session or a workout.
Related: Quinnipiac University Athletic Facilities
9:30 – 10:15 A.M.
Cat and the rest of her team have a light workout for 30 minutes just to keep the blood pumping. After the workout the team will get taped up and ready for practice
10:30-11:30 A.M.
On Mondays the team focuses on player development so it's only an hour instead of a full practice. During these sessions, the team focuses on skills and specific drills for each player.
11:30 A.M – 1:00 P.M.
Yes, even Division 1 athletes get a break. In her downtime, Cat will shower, eat, and get changed for the rest of her day. If she has time she can also study or do homework.
Related: 9 Tips to Become a More Recruitable Basketball Player
1:00 – 3:00 P.M.
Even as a full-time student athlete, Cat is completing an internship at Quinnipiac. Her main responsibility is writing articles which she enjoys very much. This is a valuable lesson for anyone looking into playing a sport in college:being a student athlete, you should be just as focused on academics as athletics.
4:00 – 6:30 P.M.
Now Cat will be in class for over two hours, taking a variety of different classes. School is a nonstop commitment for Cat, but grades are an important priority.
After Class:
Once classes are done, she'll eat dinner, work on homework, hangout with friends, and relax. She'll go to bed on the early side and then repeat the next day.
What's a day in your life like? Share your Daily Grind at [email protected]
* Originally published on April 20, 2022, by Grant Osborne
