Stay Humble, Hustle Hard: Game Day

The start of a new semester always comes with a buzz across college campuses nationwide as people
seek opportunities to get connected with each other and with their university. While some people get
involved with clubs, organizations or extracurricular activities, one of the best ways for students, faculty and community members to enjoy what a college campus has to offer is through sports.

With college football season upon us, the time has come for fans to make their plans for tailgating,
watch parties and away-game trips. Universities make sure their stadiums are in tip-top shape for the
long season ahead while ground crews go to work fine-tuning lights, fields and facilities.

With all the excitement and preparation that surrounds “college game day” each and every student
athlete who gets to participate in competition for their university possesses their own unique
perspective on how to make game day a success.

Any athlete will agree that the hype for game day begins long before the day of the actual game itself,
and so does the preparation. What makes the 6 a.m. practices, the conditioning tests and the hundreds
of loads of soccer laundry every semester all worth it for me is knowing that when game day finally rolls around, I will be prepared.

While cheering on your favorite college teams is a big part of the game day experience, being the player out on the field is something that not everyone gets to do. When I put on the colors of my school and step onto the pitch, the only thing on my mind is the desire to make my university proud through the sport I love.

When game day comes to an end and the final whistle blows, spectators are left with their beloved
team, and either a win or a loss. However, what the players carry with them off the field after a game is the weight of something heavier than just a win or a loss.

With a win or a loss, I carry the bumps and bruises I’ve acquired over three years of playing college
soccer, the stress that comes with missing my classes to play my games, and the anxiety of having to
play catch-up just to do it all over again the next week. I carry with me uncertainty about the teams we will face and not knowing how many minutes of wear-and- tear my body will be able to handle each game.

I also carry with me the colors of Nicholls State University and the Colonel Pride I have for my home in Thibodaux. I carry myself with confidence and excitement knowing that no matter the result, when one
game day ends, I’m closer to the next. I always carry passion for the game and the experiences that have shaped me into the player I am today. I carry my teammates on my back knowing that only together we can prosper.

While game day means something different to each of us, what we all have in common is we share the
opportunity to be a part of something larger than just ourselves through the communal atmosphere
that surrounds a college sport.

Whether you’re the coach on the sideline, a fan cheering in the stands, the dedicated viewer who
watches from a television screen far away, or the athlete making the plays out on the field, you get to
participate in game day.

How you choose to participate is up to you, but what players and spectators can both appreciate about
sport is being able to wake up in the morning on that special day and say, “Its game day!”