Dear Freshman,
Welcome to college athletics. Some of the craziest times of your life are about to start; you will laugh, cry, scream, and cheer…a lot. As a retired athlete, I am here to tell you all of the advice that I've gathered through my experiences as a Division I athlete.
I began my journey in 2015: going through all of the recruiting events, talking to college coaches, and going on visits.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits
My first piece of advice in your new role is to embrace every moment. These four years will FLY by, even when things get hard and you feel like nothing is going your way, have a positive mindset and things will begin to change. Embrace your role on your team and do it 110% every single day. Whether you're a starter who plays a majority of the game, a substitute who plays a chunk of minutes here and there, or the team hype man, use every day to be the greatest asset you can. Pouting about play time will get you nowhere, so take the role you have in that moment and thrive in it.
My next piece of advice is to not get hung up on your high school relationships. Being a college athlete is demanding and requires a lot of sacrifice, especially during breaks. Those friends from high school who decided to no longer play sports will never fully understand what you go through every single day, and they will not understand why you don't have time to spend with them over breaks. Friends who understand the sacrifices you need to make and how important your sport is to you will be the ones who last a lifetime. College is a chance to make new friends, and while it's important to keep your old friends, it's okay to not stay in touch with everyone from high school (and it's something you should be prepared for).
Related: The 3 Roles of Athletes, Parents, and High School Coaches in the Recruiting Process
Third, always say yes. Do everything you can to get yourself out there and have fun. Say yes to the career fair, say yes to go to Chipotle with your team, say yes to helping out at camp. All of these small things will keep you busy and help you get acclimated to your new life. Make new friends and allow yourself to be vulnerable with people. You will grow SO much at college and learn so much about yourself in those short four years. Set yourself up for your future career and make some amazing friends along the way. You never want to look back and wish you should've done something.
The most important piece of advice I have is to have fun. Being able to compete at the college level is an experience that not many high school athletes get. Live in every moment, even when it's extremely challenging. Playing college sports comes with its ups and downs, tough losses, and huge wins–but often many people lose sight of the fact that you're supposed to be having fun every single day.
To build off of that last bit of advice: never lose sight of your why. I recommend writing your “why” down and looking at it whenever you need a reminder. These next four years truly are something that will never compare to anything else you experience in your life.
Have fun and good luck!
Sincerely,
Retired college athlete Andrea Leitner
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* Originally published on August 31, 2022, by Andrea Leitner
