Jenny is a junior at Saint Cloud State University and is majoring in communication studies and marketing. She is the captain of the Nordic ski team, and is also a member of the cycling team.
One of the most challenging things for a college-bound, high school athlete to decide at the end of their secondary education is if they want to continue on to compete at the collegiate level. For me there were no questions asked; skiing has always been a passion of mine. I love to compete and plan on continuing for as long as I live.
I feel that participating in a sport was advantageous to me in several different ways.
One of the benefits as an incoming freshman was that I instantly had a core group of people that I knew I had something in common with. It helped in easing the anxiety of being away from home and all of the sudden changes that occur as a result of adjusting to a new life at school.
Secondly I consider having constraints on my time to be an advantage. This may sound weird at first, but having to balance my class schedule with practice, training camps, and race weekends has helped me become very efficient when it comes to time management.
Also, as result of traveling, I’ve found that it is imperative to establish relationships with your professors. By communicating with them, they will be more likely to help you with assignments outside of class time and more understand when you need to miss class for a competition.
Bottom line- if you or someone you know is on the fence about college sports, I say take the plunge, it’s worth it.
- Jenny
