Stress. Dedication. Hard work. Mental toughness. Talent.  That’s what sports are all about. That’s what it takes to excel in a sport, especially if you want to play to the next level above high school. Many hours get put into practices, tournaments, games, and schoolwork. It’s difficult to balance out academics and sports at the same time which is what  softball players and other athletes have to go through. 

What Goes Into Being a College Athlete?

The chances of playing a sport in college are extremely slim. For example, only 1.6% of highschool softball players become D1 superstars.

Most don’t understand how hard athletes work. Practice, conditioning, school, tournaments, games, losing out on sleep every week on repeat.  “You can have natural born talent, but if you don’t work hard, the people that do work harder will eventually surpass you,” said Leah Kripaitis, my sister and a softball player from Middlesex College.

Student athletes are insanely overlooked because people don’t realize how much it actually takes to balance education and having time for sports at the same time. Athletes even chase a dream they know most likely won’t come true.

Leah Kripaitis also said that she often procrastinates, so keeping up with academics can be a bit difficult at times, but she does a bit at a time and then rewards herself to keep her on track. When you’re in college, most of your time revolves around school work and your sport.

Can a coach impact you and your mental toughness?

People also don’t see the impact coaches have on players. Kripaitis quoted, “A lot of my friends I’ve played sports with over the years lost passion because a coach can either make or break you. If you have an amazing coach that can really help with your success in the future can definitely push you to places you didn’t know you could go to.”

This has a lot to do with mental toughness. Unfortunately, it happens to a lot of good players where a player that isn’t as skilled gets better treatment usually because they’re either the coach’s kid, an older kid,  or there’s parent connections.

After a player experiences something like this, it usually breaks their mental spirit and prevents them from trying hard and they lose interest in the game.

Determination

Determination is a huge factor of being an athlete. It  shows your passion for the sport and your desire to get better.  The more you practice and try, the more it will show. Leah Kripaitis commented, “I get stressed the most during practice, because that shows everything. Practice makes perfect.”

“You have to be so good I can’t sit you,” said by an old softball coach of Leah.

In sports, you have to learn to not take anything personally. Leah Kripaitis also said that a motivation she uses is to have faith in herself and try to prove everyone wrong. 

She worked, showed how determined she was, and she got her starting spot on varsity center-fielder back.

Conclusion

A piece of advice Kripaitis gave was to never stop working hard. Have faith in yourself. Have confidence. Keep working hard. Do what you love.

Never give up. If you keep trying, you can achieve anything. Good luck.