2008 Woodie Awards
Winter sports seasons are in full swing, characters will be tested, can we handle it?
Talitha Linden-Darrow
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Sports
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Well, it is official; the winter season has now started. The track workouts are over and the pre-season lifts are done as well. Now, it's down to business.
The men's hockey team swept their season opener and basketball is now in full swing with practices everyday. It's another beginning of a another new season, and along with this new season, come new hopes and anxieties of what the season has in store for us. There is now a solid month of practice during which one's character is tested; each of us must demonstrate that we can handle it. Our commitment will also be measured as we watch our friends leave for winter break while we remain and spend those six weeks on campus practicing and playing.
As a returning player, one might think that it would be a little easier and less frightening (for lack of a better word) to start another season, but in fact it's harder. There is now an added pressure to perform, because those of us who are returning have been here before. We've already done this. But, there are those nagging "What-if's." "What if I can't do what coach wants me to do?" "What if I'm not good enough?" That pressure is more acute, because everyone strives to be better this season than he or she was last season. With confidence and determination, we can confront that self doubt and bring our emotions under control.
It is easier now, to recognize the changes that have taken place in myself as well as in my teammates since our freshman season. The freshman season is over and our sophomore season is starting. The transition from incoming freshman to returning sophomore is an important and significant one. The learning is over and now it is time to perform and in turn, to teach. Coach often said last year that the sophomore class is the force behind the team. I believe that. Now is when we see if we learned what coach taught us last year. The timidity that is often associated with freshman year should be gone, replaced by a new tenacity to prove to everyone that we are here for a reason. It is that tenacity that can spread to the rest of the team and inspire everyone to work that much harder.
Yes, the pressure is on and yes, it is intimidating. But, you know what? We can handle it. We are all back at practice and I can honestly say that I'm happy about it . . . mostly because that means the early morning track workouts are done. Now, we know exactly what we are getting ourselves into, and while that in itself may be alarming, it is also reassuring. There are no surprises. Last year, we took the good with the bad. Whenever we found ourselves getting tired, frustrated or discouraged, we had our teammates and coaches to encourage us and give us that extra push that we needed. This year, we are the ones who need to do the pushing, because we know that we can get through anything now. We made it through last year and this year, we're going to make something of ourselves.
The men's hockey team swept their season opener and basketball is now in full swing with practices everyday. It's another beginning of a another new season, and along with this new season, come new hopes and anxieties of what the season has in store for us. There is now a solid month of practice during which one's character is tested; each of us must demonstrate that we can handle it. Our commitment will also be measured as we watch our friends leave for winter break while we remain and spend those six weeks on campus practicing and playing.
As a returning player, one might think that it would be a little easier and less frightening (for lack of a better word) to start another season, but in fact it's harder. There is now an added pressure to perform, because those of us who are returning have been here before. We've already done this. But, there are those nagging "What-if's." "What if I can't do what coach wants me to do?" "What if I'm not good enough?" That pressure is more acute, because everyone strives to be better this season than he or she was last season. With confidence and determination, we can confront that self doubt and bring our emotions under control.
It is easier now, to recognize the changes that have taken place in myself as well as in my teammates since our freshman season. The freshman season is over and our sophomore season is starting. The transition from incoming freshman to returning sophomore is an important and significant one. The learning is over and now it is time to perform and in turn, to teach. Coach often said last year that the sophomore class is the force behind the team. I believe that. Now is when we see if we learned what coach taught us last year. The timidity that is often associated with freshman year should be gone, replaced by a new tenacity to prove to everyone that we are here for a reason. It is that tenacity that can spread to the rest of the team and inspire everyone to work that much harder.
Yes, the pressure is on and yes, it is intimidating. But, you know what? We can handle it. We are all back at practice and I can honestly say that I'm happy about it . . . mostly because that means the early morning track workouts are done. Now, we know exactly what we are getting ourselves into, and while that in itself may be alarming, it is also reassuring. There are no surprises. Last year, we took the good with the bad. Whenever we found ourselves getting tired, frustrated or discouraged, we had our teammates and coaches to encourage us and give us that extra push that we needed. This year, we are the ones who need to do the pushing, because we know that we can get through anything now. We made it through last year and this year, we're going to make something of ourselves.
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