“Too many
students, perhaps after a year or two spent using college as a treadmill to
nowhere, wake up in crisis, not knowing why they have worked so hard.” ~ Harry
R. Lewis, former dean at Harvard
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| The 2014 squad at our end-of-season Gala |
One of my favorite things to talk about with
our athletes is what they’re interested in. Not necessarily about their major…
but what they’re interested in.
Megan Collins (education major) and I would
talk at length last semester about transgender rights as she was taking her
class, Sexuality in America. One evening during finals week last semester I got
a personal lesson in classical music from Saverina Chicka (social work major)
and Sara Madison (biology major) as they were finishing up Music Appreciation.
I also like to ask our athletes what they’ve
been reading for fun, as it’s a good indicator of what they’re really
interested in. But more often than not they can’t give me an answer: because
they may not like reading all that much, but more often because they don’t have
time. They’re too busy being students. During the school year I hardly had time
to pick up the newspaper on a daily basis, let alone read it.
I knew the both Rachel and Courtney Poirier
were swamped this summer with busy schedules, but I didn’t realize the extent
of it until Rachel wrote this blog post. It’s impressive that she was able to
get all this done in one summer, but what was the cost, and was it worth it? Did the busyness pay off in any new interests?
Below, less than one week from preseason, Rachel
reflects on her busy summer, and why a family atmosphere is so important on her
volleyball team :
1) You're
working two jobs at 50-60 hours a week this summer, while also training for
preseason. What has
that been like? Is it worth all the stress?
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| Using 40lb water jugs as weights |
Everyone
knows training for preseason isn’t easy. Last summer, I worked three, maybe
four times a week at night at Duff’s Famous Wings. During the day, my sister
and I would train for the preseason challenges.
We
mapped out the next three months on a calendar so we knew what to train for each
day. Our typical training day would consist of two challenges a day along with
a regular workout in between. I felt very prepared for preseason by the end of
the summer, but this year was completely different.
I am still undecided when it comes to
my major. My dad
have me the idea to apply for a marketing internship at his work, Graphic
Controls. My major is Business Administration and I thought this
internship would help me decide whether or not this is a field I would like to
pursue. This internship
was Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm.
I still worked at Duff’s on the
weekends. Why? I have no idea. Working 50 to 60 hours a week was extremely
challenging. A typical day would be rushing home from work to eat
at 5:30pm. My sister and I would then try to make it to the gym by 6:30pm.
After an hour or so workout, we would arrive home around 8:00pm. I would
shower, eat and try to get to sleep by 10pm to get 8 hours before I
had to do it all over again. Some days I would work from 8am-11pm,
sometimes even until midnight. How was I supposed to train for preseason, have
a “social life” and still get 8 hours of sleep?
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| Vacationing in Novar, Canada |
Even on our one week of vacation, we
still found time to train. We have a cabin in Novar, Canada, located in the
middle of nowhere. We knew we had to be creative when it came to practicing for
some of the challenges. We trained for the Plattsburgh challenge by holding
water jugs instead of 40 pound weights.
Somehow my sister and I found a way
to work around this crazy summer. It wasn’t the easiest by any means, but it
was the price I was willing to pay. I learned that I could handle having two
jobs, training for preseason and all of the stress that comes with it;
hopefully it all pays off during preseason.
2) Did the internship help you find new interests?
It did help me find new interests I didn't necessarily think I would like. One of my jobs during the summer was to create the company's LinkedIn page and one years worth of posts. I found that I had a creative side and loved coming up with new things to post about. It made me realize that marketing could be a possible career field.
2) I know
that having a good experience as a college volleyball player is very
important to you, that you want it to feel like a family. It’s important
to most people, but it seems more so for you. You've even said the
only reason you chose Fredonia is because of the volleyball team. Why is
it so important to you? Have there been obstacles along the way?
Ever since I started playing
volleyball I have always wanted to be on a team that feels like family. A team
that can come together and have fun doing something we all love to do, play
volleyball.
Towards the end of my senior year, I
was still undecided with my major, I still am to this day. My decision on
coming to Fredonia was mainly based on the volleyball team. When I came on my
recruiting trip, I felt like I did not fit in at first. I was smaller than all
of the girls on the team. I didn’t think I had what it took to play college
volleyball.
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| Rachel with Sara Madison (left) |
After getting to know some of the
girls, I started to feel like I belonged. Sara Madison, who I stayed with me on
my recruit trip, was someone that made me want to come to Fredonia. She was
just like me, socially awkward, loves animals, and is a determined volleyball
player. After getting to know all of my other teammates, I can honestly say I
love them all. They make me feel like an important part of the team.
I am extremely thankful to be a part
of the Fredonia Volleyball team and I can’t wait to see what the next few years
have in store.