The transition from high school to college athletics is no easy task for any incoming first-year athlete. Adjustments in the level of competition, training habits, new teammates, and more are all big changes many athletes go through throughout their first few weeks on campus.
At Springfield College, these major shifts are growing pains that all must go through. While some may find the adjustment easier than others, everyone’s experiences can be vastly different from one another.
First-year Adyson Wiseman of the women’s soccer team went through this exact process, having to get acclimated to a new environment.
“I was fortunate enough to come from a strong high school program which made transitioning into college soccer easier than most,” Wiseman said. “It wasn’t easy, but I got lucky.”
One of the biggest challenges for Wiseman came from the amount of training and number of practices the team had, a big difference from what she was used to in high school.
“We were doing double sessions with a lift most days during preseason,” Wiseman said. “In high school we never did that, and we never used the weight room. I did the summer packet from the strength and condition coach, but never in a team setting. Having that space is amazing.”
Gabbie Weissgarber, a first-year on the women’s volleyball team, felt a similar experience when first stepping foot on campus, acknowledging a similar change in her athletic experience compared to high school.
“Having lift every week has been the main difference,” Weissgarber said. “It’s a lot more training than I’m used to, but I got used to it pretty easily through the first few weeks.”
With the increase in training and a time consuming schedule for all sports, balancing academics and athletics takes trial and error. This challenge was one that Wiseman admitted is still taking time to adjust to.
“My biggest challenge so far has been managing all of the work,” Wiseman said. “With all of the training, you also need to take care of your body properly and I think it’s very difficult when you’re taking three classes a day. Going from classes, to lift, to practice, to the recovery room, and having homework on top of all of that is hard. I think I just need to find my routine and my schedule.”
First-year men’s cross country runner, Josh Martin, found the academic to athletics balance to be the most challenging part as well.
“It’s a big jump from high school,” Martin explained. “In high school, you go to classes, then you go to practice, and your day is pretty much done. In college, you have more challenging classes with a difficult practice and lift some days. Instead of relaxing, most days you’re up late doing work. You have to find the balance.”
Despite all of these changes, Martin has felt that being a part of a team has helped him with the many differences between high school and college.
“Having teammates who are always there for you helps a lot,” Martin said. “We all will always eat dinner together and everyone keeps each other accountable between academics and athletics. It’s great to have them as a resource.”
Getting acclimated to a new team away from home is a process that takes time as well. Bonding with teammates and creating a relationship with a new coach are complications first-years are tasked with, but can be the most rewarding in the end. Wiseman explained her experience within the first weeks of being at Springfield.
“It’s definitely taken time to get used to a new team,” Wiseman said. “I think we’re still trying to gel together. You go from playing with these girls in high school that you’ve known your entire life to playing with 36 strangers that you’ve never seen on a field together before. It’s definitely an adjustment.”
However, some noted the shift to be easier than others. Weissgarber found that the volleyball team meshed together almost instantly, with her teammates becoming one of her favorite parts about Springfield so far.
“We all bonded quickly within the first couple of days together,” Weissgarber said. “Everyone got super close. The team is super fun. We come into practices and matches supporting each other and we know it’s all about the team, not the individual.”
Martin further explained a similar experience, adding how tight the men’s cross country team is and how seamlessly he fit in.
“As soon as we all got together, we clicked so fast,” Martin said. “It made it a much easier transition. Doing things as a team and hanging out at random times made me feel welcome immediately.”
On top of trying to find their role on the team, the level of play is a major step up in college for most first-year athletes. With many players coming from being the best at their respective high schools, the differences in quality of competition at the collegiate level is noticeable to all. Wiseman instantly felt the step up in the level of play of women’s soccer during her first days on Alden Street.
“The game is a lot faster,” Wiseman said. “It’s a lot more physical and a lot stronger. I think leaning on my teammates has been huge. Asking for advice is super helpful since we all support each other and make each other the best versions of ourselves. Coach Shade has been amazing too, giving us drills that put you in real game situations so that when it’s the real thing, you know you’ve done this before.”
Martin, two races into his collegiate career, recognized the improvement in the level of runners he was competing against as soon as he stepped on the line for his first cross country meet.
“College has countless fast guys, whereas high school doesn’t,” Martin explained. “It’s definitely different when you’re in a race. I was able to pack up with a group of about twenty guys during my last meet, but in high school, sometimes you go out and you are running alone for over a half a mile at times. It will take some getting used to.”
Despite the hard transition, many first-year athletes have begun to find their stride in their respective sports. As many teams now have multiple games under their belts, these new faces at Springfield continue to understand what it takes to compete in college, while continuing to work on balancing their lives on and off the field.
Regardless of the stress and adjustment period, many players like Wiseman could not be happier with their decision to continue to play the sports they love in college.
“It’s so rewarding,” Wiseman said. “Practice is always the highlight of every day, and although some days are hard and terrible and you want to quit, when you see all of the hard work you’ve put in pay off, there’s no other feeling like it. There is no feeling comparable to being an athlete and seeing your growth in such a short amount of time.”