The Tables Have Turned
May 6, 2009 | Women's Lacrosse
May 6, 2009
All semester I have written a weekly profile of a Boston University student-athlete - Tahari James one week, Brooke Hudson the next. For my final profile of the semester, I was asked to write a reflection on my time as a student-athlete. I became cocky, thinking it was going to be a piece of cake. I didn't have to interview anyone, I obviously knew everything I could say ... but then I became acutely aware that reflection means self. Myself. The whole idea of being a journalist to me means that one gets to tell other's stories and add flare to make it their own. My how the tables have turned.
I came to BU as a skinny, wide-eyed freshman without an inkling as to what I was getting myself into. If you told me then that I would be a senior captain of the women's lacrosse team and I would be profiling my fellow student-athletes on the website, I would most definitely have laughed in your face.
Competing at the Division I level is a huge accomplishment, but to be part of the BU athletic community gives me much more satisfaction. I would vie for our athletic department even if the odds were against us.
Over my four years at BU, I had to remind myself that I was a student-athlete a couple of times (sorry Mom and Dad). At first, it was extremely difficult to manage my time. I remember my throat drying up when I was told I was to practice in the morning and that lifting would follow, and that potentially an individual practice may be necessary later that day. That should you choose not to do your study hall hours, the consequence would be an appointment with the aerodyne bike. Where did school fit in?
So I kissed my social life goodbye, picked up the weights and became acquainted with the aerodyne. A large thank you to Glenn Harris and his strength and conditioning coaching, which caused several wardrobe malfunctions and later led to larger jeans to accommodate my new quadriceps.
After swallowing that enormous pill, I adapted to BU by adhering to a routine, a routine that I follow to this day. Without the help from coaches, teammates and academic advisors it would be extremely easy for a freshman to sink in the ocean that is BU. My participation as an athlete provided me with the structure that I needed to be successful.
It is always interesting to see the younger student-athletes come into our community. Most are shy at first and test the waters, wondering if this is really for them. Moving into my sophomore and junior years offered a lens through which to view the incoming freshmen, and I was able to gauge my growth through them.
My teammates are not only my best friends, but also my second family. At the head of our twisted family are the coaches. Liz Robertshaw has taught me so much about myself in the four years I have been here. She has helped me to control my inner spaz and see the bigger picture. She has pushed me to levels I never knew possible and instills a quiet confidence in all of her players, making them not just solid lacrosse players, but better people.
Being a member of the lacrosse team has been a gift. The level of commitment is unimaginable but I would not be able to picture my time at BU without it.
I have an abundance of t-shirts which I will be willing to donate. I have enough red and white apparel that I don't see myself purchasing any items of clothing in those particular colors any time soon. And finally, I no longer have an excuse for wearing sweatpants six out of seven days of the week, as my mother has instructed me never to purchase sweatpants again.
I will leave BU toned thanks to Glenn Harris and his strength and conditioning packets, sad for having to close the door on my college career and, finally, proud to say that I was an athlete at Boston University.
Steph Walker is a senior in COM from Winchester, Mass., and a member of the women's lacrosse team.
