While it might seem cliché, it is the time of the year to sit down and think about everything we are thankful for. The list goes on and on: Family, friends, health, and everything in between.
But, there is something else that I would add to my list that hasn’t come up.
Being a student athlete.
This year, over 460,000 college students participated in 23 sports across all three divisions in the NCAA. Considering that there are nearly 20 million students walking around campuses across America, 460,000 student athletes is a small portion.
Which makes me even more thankful to be a student athlete since so few college students have the luxury of playing their sport at the next level.
Here I am, four years later, a collegiate athlete. Through college athletics, I have pushed my body to the limits, developed skills on the field and in the classroom and have traveled abroad to the UK to experience lacrosse on a whole new level, with 27 other student-athletes from all over the United States.
And for that, I am thankful.
There are so many benefits to playing a sport in college and many student athletes take those benefits for granted, showing up to practice and playing in games as if they are just going through the motions.
You get to continue playing the sport you love, while staying in shape. Student athletes also gain a second family through your teammates, a support system through your coaches, as well as time management and organizational skills.
So when I sit down this Thanksgiving, most likely with a slice of pumpkin pie and my Packers on the TV, I know I am thankful for the opportunity to be a student-athlete and especially a student-athlete at North Central.
