A student-athlete’s job is all-year round.
There is off season conditioning and then in-season training. It is a job that requires you to take care of your body, learn plays and more importantly, acquire an education. If you don’t maintain any of these tasks, you can lose it all just like any other job.
As a student-athlete at Cal Poly, I quickly learned what is required as a women’s basketball player from head coach
Faith Mimnaugh. The work ethic she teaches us on and off the court is a top priority once we put on a Mustang uniform.
Assistant coach Kerri Nakamoto also believes that being back-to-back conference champions has set a precedent for work ethic and what it takes to be successful.
“Everyone recognizes you can’t be perfect every day, but I think the expectations from coaches and teammates is to work the hardest you can to make yourself and the team better,” Nakamoto said.
Once season starts, it is go time. The amount of time we spend in Mott Gym is ridiculous. Since every player’s class schedule is different our practice slot is in the mornings usually from 7 to 10 a.m., incuding weight training.
“Last season’s practice schedule was horrible,” guard Amaka Ofodu said. “Waking up at the crack of dawn always caught up to me by the end of the day.”
The three-hour time slot does not include the extra shooting that our coaches highly recommend.
After practice, many players only have about 10 minutes to shower, dress and make their 10:10 a.m. class on time. Let’s not forget about trying to stay awake in class after a three-hour-long morning practice.
During season we have about two games a week. One game would be home while the other away or two home games and two away games. The hardest is when we have two games on the road.
Due to everyone’s class schedules we usually leave campus for away games at 6 p.m. Many players do homework on the way up or try and catch some sleep.
By the time we check into the hotel and get settled, it’s time to hit the sheets.
We rise early for breakfast then get in some shooting practice for about an hour to get used to our opponent’s court. And then it’s back to the hotel for some rest before tip-off.
Hopefully, we clench a win, because all road trips are better when you return victorious.
Early the next morning, we are back on the road headed to face our next opponent.
Being on the road is probably one of the hardest but humbling experiences as a student-athlete.
“It is ridiculously hard to catch up on school work while being on the road, especially at Poly. But the places we visit as a team are well worth it,” point guard
Ariana Elegado said.
Being a student athlete can be a roller coaster. It has taught me many life lessons that I would have never even imagined. I have learned time management, leadership and how to work with others you may not get along with.
Overall, the ups and downs we go through during season only help us become better people off the court.
