By: Communications
Redshirt freshman goalie Sean Richard was one of six 2019 incoming men's lacrosse freshmen to take part in session II of classes last summer. He reflects on what the experience meant to him...Every high school senior's dream after school ends is to make the most of their last summer with friends before they all depart for college early August; however, myself and five other players in my class took a different route. I stepped foot on Marquette University's campus for the first time as a student-athlete on July 4, 2019.
Thanks to social media and our official visit senior year, we all had an opportunity to briefly get to know each other as friends, but not much more. Our unique opportunity allowed us to become students, and college athletes ahead of the curve; but most importantly develop the aspect of what brotherhood means to our team.
Our first Monday on campus, (first-year head) Coach (Andrew) Stimmel called us into his office. None of us knew him except from a phone call some weeks before. He was excited to meet us and start to see us grow as college students. One of the last things he said to us was to make sure we take care of each other throughout this time of change. It was reassuring because we didn't know what to expect, but we knew we had each other.
We were introduced to the academic staff on this first day as well. With the help of Katie Simet, the men's lacrosse team academic advisor, we were able to learn how to use D2L, studying techniques, and the importance of taking advantage of resources like the academic center inside the Al McGuire Center, tutors, and asking questions whenever any kind of confusion came up. Speaking for all of us, without the help of Katie and staff we would not have been able to succeed and grow past the learning curve we were encountering.
Aside from school, we began a strict workout routine. With the help of Stu Roche, Dan Kant-Hull, Todd Smith, and Emily Jacobson we engaged in Division I-caliber workouts right away. This process was not about 'getting big' or becoming a super-freak athlete, it was about learning technique SO that we could grow into better athletes. They taught us how to eat properly, lift weights properly, and take care of our bodies through proper recovery. This included: pre- and post-lifting stretches, setting up meetings with our outstanding athletic trainer, Aaron Doering, and being proactive if something didn't feel right so we could function at peak performance.
While working out and becoming a student was an amazing experience, what I took away most from this process was the relationships I made with guys I call my best friends. We spent almost a month and a half together every day. We all were learning together. Whether it was time management for homework or learning how to do our laundry - which most of us struggled with at first - we grew as a unit. We also got to develop relationships with many of the upperclassmen who were living on campus at the time. They took us under their wings and showed us their own 'survival guide' around Milwaukee, and for that we are thankful.
Being able to attend summer school was a blessing with absolutely no disguise. Without the help of our amazing staff and teammates we would have had a much harder time adjusting to our new life. My words of advice to future summer school student-athletes - take it all in, because it will only happen once. Buy into the process, because it truly is about trusting the steps to reach the end goal. It won't be easy, but if you trust yourself and the people around you, I promise it will make it a lot more fun.
Keep up with the Marquette men's lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).
"last" - Google News
June 16, 2020 at 10:05PM
https://ift.tt/3huDa0q
Sean Richard on last summer's head start - GoMarquette.com
"last" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2rbmsh7
https://ift.tt/2Wq6qvt
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Sean Richard on last summer's head start - GoMarquette.com"
Post a Comment