Important things to learn in your time as a DIII athlete

Hi, everyone. My name is Caitlin to those who don’t know me. I am a senior. You may have seen my name under sports stories here in The Record or on the occasional investigative news story, usually in tandem with my roommate Hailey’s name. I have had the joy and privilege of writing for the sports section of The Record for the last two and a half years.

While some may know me from this newspaper, many know me on campus as a track athlete. I have competed in the pole vault for St. Ben’s for the last four years, and what a time it has been. During my time on the CSB track team and at CSB, there are a few nuggets of knowledge and wisdom I have picked up. As a senior, I feel like I would not be doing my due diligence if I didn’t share those with you now. And yes, I know this is probably a bit sappy, but I don’t care. Read it anyway. Here we go. I present to you “The Unofficial Guide to Navigating Life as a DIII College Athlete,” by me.

Rule number one: Mental health first. Your body can only perform to the best of its ability if your mind is to the best of its ability as well. Prioritize your self-care and take your rest days seriously. Sports can be draining, so use those off days to regenerate. And if you are needing help, please reach out. There are resources on this campus set in place to benefit you.

Rule number two: Practice makes perfect. The hardest practices are the ones that make the most difference. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shown up to practice and wanted to leave immediately. My coach and I actually have a running joke that I often feel like the heads on Easter Island. Spoiler alert, though: I never left a practice, and I performed better because of it.

Rule number three: If your teammates become your friends, it makes the sport all the better. My pole vault family and my fast family (the sprinters and jumpers) will stay with me for a long time, long after I graduate. Never take for granted the time you have with them. Every hard workout, disappointing meet or game and with every success, your teammates are there with you for it all. Sometimes you even end up living with them. Hi, Hailey. Love you.

Rule number four: Never take it too seriously. No one likes a perpetual storm cloud of a person. And also, it’s Division III. We can afford to have a little bit of fun. Keep it light and breezy. Joke around a bit. The best practices are the ones where all the pole vaulters and my coach were debating if we wanted to take 1000 rats or two bears into battle. The double edge to that, however, is to know when to take it seriously. Mindset can make or break you.

And lastly, rule number five: Enjoy the ride. There will always be good and bad days, but the cumulation of these days are what makes a sport worth it. It was hard balancing school life as a nursing major and track, but I am so happy that I took on the challenge. It taught me time management, how to deal with stress in a healthy way, the importance of teamwork and set me up for success in my future career endeavors.

To end this somewhat sappy last piece in The Record, I have to give credit where credit is due. Thank you to my coaches for pushing me to be the person, both academically and athletically, that I am today. John, you turned track and field from an anxiety-inducing event into one that I genuinely look forward to every day. Thank you for being the best coach and an even greater friend. To my teammates: You are the reason I have so much fun every day. Your humor and spunk never go unnoticed. The pole vault pre-meet crop-top days and the countless dinners bring me so much happiness. And to pole vault itself: If you would have told me that a bet with my dad would have turned into a nine-year long career, I would have never believed you. But here I am, pole in hand, ready to compete in my last conference meet ever. I guess you can say I have experienced the epic highs and lows of Division III pole vault. And that’s all from me. Athletes, enjoy your time here, it’s truly one of the best times of your life. Salfer out.