Peace Out

I just wanted to say thank you to all of those who have followed my blog over the course of this semester. It has been a good experience for me to share things about my life and let everyone know sort of what it's like to be a college athlete.

As for the future for this blog, I'm not sure what's going to happen. I might try to keep up and post every now and then, especially when softball season starts, but I guess you'll just have to check back later to find out!

Podcast

Hey everyone! Here is my podcast talking a little bit more about my life this first semester as a college athlete. I hope you enjoy!

part 1 Download this episode (right click and save)
part 2 Download this episode (right click and save)
part 3 Download this episode (right click and save)
part 4 Download this episode (right click and save)

P.S. Sorry this is broken up, but it's the only way I could get it to work.

Study Spots

As finals are approaching all of the procrastinators and lazy people will be coming out of hibernation and filling up the library. If this happens here is a map of a few coffee shops that can double as study space in your time of need!

Facilities at WU

Here are some of the facilities our Ichabod athletes use. They are scattered around campus and are all within a few minutes of walking distance.

If you get the chance you should attend a sporting event at one of these places!

Study Table Struggles-Part 2

As finals are approaching, teachers are more and more pushy about getting our assignments finished and turned in on time. Because of this pushiness, it is almost like we are all resisting their authority and waiting until the last minute to finish our papers and projects that were assigned early in the semester.

As the semester has progressed it has been easy to log hours at study tables because we lose focus so quickly. Just last night my roommate and I planned on working out, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and spending the entire night in the library focused on our studies.

Recently, my teachers have been assigning busy work to fill the time before finals. While this may sound like easy things to do it is absolutely pointless! If you're going to make me sit here and work one something irrelevant to what we're learning then you're crazy! I would rather spend that time working on studying for my finals early while I have time.

Instead of spending the night focused in the library like we'd planned we sat there talking about foods we didn't like, looking up YouTube videos, and drawing all over the whiteboard. By the time 9 o'clock rolled around we realized how much time we spent messing around. I had a paper and a take home test to finish, and as for Savannah, she had 2 papers and Stats homework to do.

Overcome by lack of sleep, fear of failure, and a sugar high, I was able to snap back into focus mode and knock out my assignments in just over 2 hours.

If I could come to the library with that kind of energized focus every day all of my homework would get done in the quickest amount of time possible. There would be no more procrastinating for me.

Hopefully when success week and finals week get here I'll be able to control my focus and get everything done before the due dates!

Campus Chills

Monday night, out of nowhere, came a cold front dropping the temperature from a nice 60 degrees to nearly 32 degrees after it got dark. This crazy drop in temperature sent all of Washburn's students back to their rooms to get coats, sweats, and coffee to keep them warm. Not only did it effect the students, but it had a huge impact on the athletes as well.

Because of the chilly temperatures, softball and baseball won't be practicing outside any time soon forcing us into the gyms. Now I know that doesn't seem like much of a problem, but at WU there are only 2 full size courts. When softball and baseball and possibly the men's and women's tennis teams, are forced into the homes of the volleyball, and men and women's basketball teams, things can get a little hectic.

Just yesterday, we had hitting practice in the tunnels upstairs which was open and available. For warmups we started in the upstairs gym, almost finished, but got kicked out by the women's basketball team. We had to play catch on the stage on the side of the gym trying to avoid the tables and other stuff left up there. When it came time for conditioning, our pitchers and catchers were throwing on the track just behind the stairs in the gym, the janitors were getting the court ready for the volleyball game that night so running on the court was not an option. We were forced to run on the little strip of track on the side of the gym.

People always say "just go with the flow", and that's usually what I do, but when all athletic teams have to share facilities you really have to be open and ready to change what you're doing at the drop of a hat.

Hopefully we can all workout designated practice times so this catastrophe doesn't happen again!

Team Bonding

I know it may sound kind of silly, but being close with your teammates OFF the field really does help you ON the field.

Being a part of the softball team here at Washburn has opened me up to some cool things here in Topeka. We went to Gary's Berries pumpkin patch early one morning and it was a blast! We all went through the corn maze, looked for cute, little pumpkins, and even went on the tractor ride! The pumpkin donuts and kettle corn were also really yummy. We've also had team dinners where we can relax and just have fun together as a team. Before the fall season even got here we all went to Red Robin and saw an inspirational movie as a team.

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

Being a part of a team not only lets you be a part of something bigger than yourself, but it shows you how to work with other people both inside and outside of practice. By doing things outside of practice as a team it allows us to be closer and see how similar we may be to another person on the team.

A bonus to team bonding is the added impact of communication. If you're able to talk to your teammates about regular, every day things then talking on the field will be a breeze. This way you'll also be able to learn a little bit more about them as a person.

One key component of team bonding is trust. We've all seen or heard of certain exercised used to build trust, whether that is a trust fall activity, or having someone lead you when your eyes are closed, you all have to be willing to put your life in their hands. This is essentially what you're doing when game time rolls around. You will only be able to do your job, and you have to be able to trust your teammates that they will do the same.

Sporting Events @ WU

Going off of my previous post, Support Our Sports, I'd like to emphasize the importance of attendance at sporting events with the fall sports at Washburn. Going to sporting events does not only help the athletes get pumped up, but it's a great way to meet new people while supporting your school!

This fall the Ichabod Volleyball team has been killing it! Their record so far is 18-3 with only a handful of games left at home. They are as follows:

Friday Nov, 7th 7pm Pitt State
Saturday Nov, 8th 6pm Southwest Baptist
Tuesday Nov, 11th 7pm Fort Hays State
Saturday Nov, 15th 7pm Univ of Neb- Kearney

Women's soccer has been struggling to fight for a win, but they still have a chance with their remaining home games.

Friday Oct, 24th 5pm Fort Hays State
Sunday Oct, 26th 2pm Univ of Neb- Kearney
Friday Oct, 31th 6pm Emporia State

Ichabod Football has also been struggling with a record of 2-5, but still have a few chances to change their record. They even get the chance to play at Arrowhead Stadium to finish out their conference games!

Saturday Nov, 1st 1pm Emporia State
Saturday Nov, 8th 1pm Northeastern State
Saturday Nov 15th, 2pm Northwestern Missouri State

For more information about Washburn Athletics click here! http://wusports.com/index.aspx

Washburn SAAC

Here at Washburn we have something called SAAC. It stands for the student athletic advisory committee. Instead of athletes just going to practice and their own games, SAAC encourages athletes to attend other sporting events.

Each athletic team competes in something called the Washburn Cup. It is based on grade point average, attendance to other sporting events, community service, and as well as many other fun opportunities! The more people involved in the Washburn Cup and it's activities, the greater the support and care for our other athletic teams here at Washburn!

Last year the softball team won, and we were recognized at Yell Like Hell. Hopefully we can keep working towards another Washburn Cup win this year!

If you want to learn more about SAAC click here!
http://www.wusports.com/sports/2013/4/23/SAAC_0423135746.aspx?path=General

Homecoming Horrors

This week is homecoming week for Washburn University and each day has been filled with some kind of fun campus activity. From decorating things like cakes, top hats, doors and posters, to students running the Ichabod race, as well as many others.

Because of our odd schedules, most athletes, at least the softball team, really only got to participate in one event called Yell Like Hell. It is a special night when fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, and teachers all create and perform their own dance.

This year the athletic teams that were involved consisted of the softball team, the baseball team, the volleyball team, and the girls soccer team. Each group had to make up and perform a dance around 2-4 minutes long and come up with a cheer to do involving the crowd.

I really hadn't thought much about it at first. I thought to myself  "Oh yeah, we will probably just do some easy dance moves and call it good.". But boy was I wrong. We created a killer mix tape and along with some help from a friend, choreographed a routine that was sure to win.

Midterms...

I can't believe it's already October! It feels like we just started school! Where has the time gone?

In these next two weeks teachers have assigned mid-term tests, projects, and other assignments to "asses our learning" aka stress us out with. You may have been wondering what it's like trying to balance academics and athletics, and let me tell you, it's hard, especially when you have 3 tests and a paper due each week.

I am prone to procrastinate. In high school I told myself that when I got to college I would be on top of every assignment, do all the required reading, and turn in my assignments on time, or maybe even early. LOL @ MYSELF. That has not happened. I do try to read the assigned pages, and I turn in my assignments on their due date, never before.

Photo Credit: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3vojhj

After you've been working out for the past three hours, the library is not one place you want to be, but you have to stay on top of your stuff. We spend hours there all week long, but I can't seem to figure out how many hours I need to delegate to a certain assignment. "Do I study for the Psychology test on Friday, write my blog posts, or work on my WU 101 paper due next week?".

It has been helpful going to the library with my roommates. A few of us are in the same classes so we can discuss what we went over in class, or when something is due. As for my other classes, I am constantly emailing professors questions over assignments. I always double check my syllabus, but it doesn't always help.

I write down all assignments in my planner and I make sticky notes reminding myself what I need to get done for that week. Now that I have managed to figure out how to plan, let's just hope I can actually follow through with it!

Here is a link for some other tips to help you stay on top!
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2010/03/24/8-tips-for-the-student-athlete

Parental Support

My parents are a huge part of my student-athlete life because they decided when I was younger to introduce me to sports. Like I said before, I've played basketball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, ran track and cross country, and even danced. If it wasn't for their willingness to participate I don't know where or who I would be today.

It never occurred to me the countless hours they spent in the car, taking me to and from practice, and to out of town tournaments on the weekends. And I don't even want to think about how much money they spent over the years. Not only for things like team fees and necessities, but for all the tournament t-shirts, pretzels, and extra things I probably didn't need.

As much as the child is invested in the game, the parents have invested equal or more time, effort, and love into the activity. They have always been there for us, through the good times and bad. They've been by our side when we've been injured and have yelled at us all the way home after a bad game. They've also been there in the stands, cheering for us, when we get a hit or make a spectacular play. I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't realize how much sports have affected the relationship between my parents and I. 

For our first scrimmage, my mom texted me asking me when and where it was at. Being kind of far away from home, I replied with something like, "Don't worry about coming, it's just a scrimmage.". Thinking that she would've stayed home, once we started playing I couldn't help but notice myself looking in the stands for my mom, even though I told her not to come. About halfway into the game I saw her sitting at the very top of the stands, and a weird kind of excitement came over me. 

Being able to spot your supporters in the crowd makes playing the game that much more exciting. Not only are you working for your team and your coach, but your fans and supporters as well. I am very thankful that even though I'm not at home anymore, my parents still come out and support me. 

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs 

Dealing with Dorm Life

Before I arrived at school, I was oddly excited to live in the dorms. I finally have my own space, although much smaller than normal, the cute little desk, the dreaded twin bunk, and a closet much smaller than my own. But don't worry, I think I've figured out how to organize my stuff.

I was also really excited to have a roommate! I have had my own room since I can remember, besides my sister occasionally sneaking in to steal my clothes, so living with a stranger was thrilling to me.

Here's a pic of my roommates (Bottom left, middle, and top right)

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

I was blessed because I love each of my roommates. We are all freshmen on the softball team and thankfully none of us play the same positions. So far, everyone keeps their space organized and we all pitch in and clean when we have to. Hopefully there wont be any issues in our room!

Along with the perks of living in the dorms, like closeness to campus, your own space, and others, there are also some drawbacks.

Because we live above the main floor, there always seems to be a million stairs we have to climb, and after weights or practice that is the last thing I want to do.

Our hall is filled with all kinds of different people, and while this may sound like a good thing, it actually isn't the most ideal living situation.

Support Our Sports

Every athlete dreams of playing in front of thousands of people when in reality we are lucky if our families and a few friends show up. That was not the case for last night's volleyball match against Emporia State.

The entire parent's section was filled with screaming moms and dads. Surprisingly, the student section filled up as well. Myself and the rest of the softball team along with a handful of soccer girls filled the front 3 rows cheering and screaming when they'd get a kill, awesome dig, or block. Moving on up, other students were there, but they were just sitting on their phones looking bored out of their mind. I'm not sure which is worse, and empty crowd, or a crowd full of bored people.

Athletes work their butts off to be the best. When game day rolls around, it seems like there's nothing to hold us back! We are psyched and ready to go, unless we see an empty crowd.

There is nothing better than looking out into the crowd to see tons of people on their feet, clapping and cheering our team on. Coaches always say "don't look into the crowd, you'll lose your focus", but when I look out to the crowd, adrenaline starts pumping and I feel like I could accomplish anything.

Do us a favor, go to the next volleyball match, softball, basketball or football game. Not only will it heighten the game day experience for the athletes out there performing, but it will be beneficial to you as well. There is nothing better than the feeling of cheering your school on to a win and being able to say you've been there and done that!

GO BODS!

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

NO DAYS OFF... Well, maybe just one

We've all heard the term "No days off", and it's absolutely true! If you want your body and mind to be in tip top shape, you shouldn't take a single day off. But my roommate and I were in desperate need of at least one day off.

With weights 3 times a week, and practice every other day, you have to take full advantage of days off coach gives you. Whether that means resting your body, by sitting in the ice bath for as long as you can stand, taking long naps, or being academically productive in the library.

I hate to say it, but we didn't do any of those things. Yesterday afternoon, we decided to hit the mall and of course get Chik-fil-A for lunch. After eating the crappy dorm food for the past few weeks we decided to splurge on some top quality french fries and chicken nuggets.

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

The 2 hours we were out at the mall were wonderful! I bought a Sporting KC shirt for the upcoming game, walked around and window shopped, and people watched from the food court. Sadly, our free time came to an end, because we had to get back to the room to do our laundry.

Tips for all students: Don't go to the mall in your free time, like me. Do something productive like studying for a test, or preparing yourself for class the next day so you aren't stuck at the library all night.

And don't eat all your Chik-fil-A too fast, your tummy will hate you later

A Day in the Life

All college athlete's schedules are different, but I just wanted to give you guys a chance to see what a normal day looks like for me!

5:00 am: Wake up and get dressed for weights
5:45 am: Warm-ups
6:00 am: Start lifting
7:00 am: Abs and conditioning
7:30 am: Shower and change
8:00 am- 9:15 am Class
9:30 am- 10:45 am Class
11:00 am- 12:15 pm Class
12:15 pm Lunch
12:30pm- 2:00 pm Study Tables
2:10 pm Change and leave for practice
2:30 pm- 6:30 pm Practice
7:00 pm Shower and dinner
8:00 pm- 9:30 pm Study Tables
10:00 pm Sleep

It seems like a long day, and indeed it is! I really don't know how, but somehow we all manage to make it work!

T'was the First Day of Practice

T'was the first day of practice and all through the dorms every creature was stirring, including the mouse. (I thought I'd try to recreate the famous Christmas poem, but I couldn't think of anything clever after that first line.)

Wednesday morning I could not stop freaking out about practice. "Will I be good enough, will I be able to get through conditioning, am I wearing the right uniform, will the other girls think I'm any good?" The list went on and on thanks to my roommates. Walking out to the field I was a nervous wreck. My hands were shaking, my heart was pounding extremely fast, and I was sweating uncontrollably.

It's like walking into lunch your first day of high school and worrying about if you have any friends to sit with. Ultimately, you'll either find someone to sit with or go out on a limb and make new friends.

All of my new teammates are incredibly nice and great leaders for all of us freshmen. They taught us how the warm up went, how coach likes things to be done, what kinds of drills we need to learn, and my favorite part, ladders.

It had poured down rain the night before so the grass was kind of wet. Nothing I couldn't handle, or so I thought...

Instead of cleating-up for these lovely ladder drills, coach has us keep our tennis shoes on. Any other day this would've been fine, but because of all the rain there was no way I could get traction in my crappy, old shoes.

I made it through the first round just fine. The second round through I completely ate it. My feet slipped right out from under me and I fell, HARD. After the initial shock and embarrassment, I busted out laughing! Right as I got up someone else fell only to lead to more laughter.

We all got through the mud pit and went on to play catch and loosen up our arms. As we jogged back into the dugout, one of the returners slipped immediately as she stepped into the dugout and fell straight on her butt. We all couldn't help but giggle as she just sat there laughing at herself.

This goes to show that even though nervousness and anxiety can overwhelm you, you aren't going to be the only one feeling that way! Thanks to my awesome teammates I know I'll be great friends with them!


P.S. Just kidding about the mouse from earlier, we don't actually have one in our room(;

Giant Gulp of Gatorade

Ever since our days of little league baseball, or our first days on the field as a soccer player, Gatorade has always been there for us. I know it kind of sounds like I'm talking about a dependable, old friend, not a bottle of bright colored liquid, but after 4 hours on the field Gatorade is my BEST friend.

It was created in 1965, after the Florida Gators Football coach wondered why his players were dropping like flies in the sticky, Florida heat. Researchers found that the water the athletes were drinking didn't replace the electrolytes or carbohydrates they needed.

It seems to me like everyone, not just athletes, refers to Gatorade by it's color, not flavor. As weird as this is, during a game I'll ask for a "blue one" and my mom will know exactly what flavor to get.

When I was younger I loved seeing the Gatorade commercials on TV. Seeing all kind of different professional athletes compete, take a sip, and then sweat out the color of Gatorade they were drinking. I thought it was actually made to do this, only to be disappointed when I didn't see any blue beads of sweat rolling down my face at practice the next day.

I searched the other night for 3 hours to show you guys a video of what I'm talking about, but I could only find a picture. (I know this isn't the best quality, but it was the best I could find)

Photo Credit: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/204913851769507362/ 

While I was searching for one of these photos I came across the Gatorade YouTube channel. They have been recently making videos titled "Sweat It to Get It", meaning you must/have been sweating and working out in order to buy a Gatorade at the gas station shown. 

I HIGHLY encourage clicking play below and watching a few of these. They are hilarious! 

Study Table Struggles

One of the tough things about being student-athletes is balancing study and workout time. One of the softball team expectations is that we log 8 or more hours of study time at the library. This may not seem very long, maybe an hour or so a night, but with practice every other day going to study wasn't one of my top priorities at first.

Monday I went to the library, a quiet, calm environment that turned out to be more like a zoo! Kids were running up and down the stairs and on the main floor, and shouting across the room all thanks to "The Great Library Race". This is an event created by librarians to get kids interested in the library and all of its tools for success. Safe to say I didn't get any studying done that day.

Working diligently for an hour or so doesn't seem that bad, right? Think again. By the time you get there, find a table, organize yourself and your homework, and get focused on what you need to do practically 30 minutes have gone by, for me at least.

One of my roommates and I decided to go later in the week to keep each other focused for the night. We each had a mental plan of what we needed to do and how we were going to get it done. Instead of actually following through with the plan, we sat there for the first hour talking about random things and laughing until our stomachs ached.

Library Rule #1: DON'T BRING FRIENDS TO THE LIBRARY

One of the things I couldn't stop laughing about was the fact that someone brought a Nintendo DS with them. YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT, NOT A 12 YEAR OLD BOY! YOU SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING MARIO CART!

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

Library Rule #2: Don't be "that guy" playing with little kid toys...

Library Rule #3: Always dress warm in case you get cold easily like Savannah, and be sure to wear your backpack straps when your backpack gets too heavy!

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

Hopefully my laughter-filled library experiences will help you guys see what not to do!

Late and Locked Out

This past Tuesday the softball team started 6 am weights. This meant getting all of your school work and study tables hours done before 8 o'clock, eating dinner, showering, and hopefully getting into bed before 10 pm so we could get enough sleep to be awake and ready to go at 5 am.

My roommates Savannah, Lindsey, and Cassidy are also softball players so the whole waking up at 5 am is much better when your whole dorm is up and moving.

We headed out the door Wednesday morning, just as the day before, with our water bottles, academic binders, and keys in hand. Well, all of us but Savannah brought keys. (Keep this in mind).

It being our second day of weights meant EXTREMELY sore legs as well as shoulders, backs, and booty's. Weights went on as expected and afterwards Cass and Lindsey had to go straight to class, leaving Sav and I to come back to the room and shower for our 9 o'clock class. 

As we walked back to the room I got out my ID card to open the door. As I typed in my code as normal the light would not turn green. The door would rattle like it was only partly closed, but it normally did this so we didn't think anything of it. I tried my code 3 more times and the light would flash from yellow to red each time. This would be the perfect time for someone else to try their card and try to get in. Oh wait.....

Remember how I said Savannah didn't bring her keys that morning? Because of this, we didn't have another card to open the door, and we were going to have to sit outside our door for the next half hour. Not fun. 

Sweaty, hot, and smelly we came up with a plan to see if the RA on duty could help us. We knocked on the door 4 times, and nobody answered. Next, we spotted a janitor halfway down the hall and asked if he could let us in. "Sorry girls, I don't have keys to this wing,", he replied. "Maybe check the janitor at the other end of the hall." We turned just in time to see the other janitor taking the trash out. Sadly, he couldn't help us either.

Sweating now for the fear of being late to class we ran down to the front desk to see if anyone was working. Because it was only 7:30 am nobody was there! As we turned to walk back upstairs this little, dark haired woman asked, "May I help you girls?" 

"YES, PLEASE WE ARE LOCKED OUT OF OUR DORM AND WE'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR CLASS IF WE DON'T GET IN AND SHOWER SOON!", we said nearly freaking the poor woman out. 

Just then, I heard angels sing and harp music in the background as we found the answer to our problem, "Let me get the grand master key and see what I can do." 

15 minutes later we were let back into our room to be told that our door is broken and the battery of our code putter-inner is running low. Fabulous right?

This whole mess could potentially happen in the future so stay tuned for Late and Locked Out: Part 2

Photo Credits: Savannah Moore

Welcome!

My name is Maddie Abbs and I am a freshman attending Washburn University. You might think that I'm just like every other Washburn student, but think again. There are a select few, some call us the elites, the best of the best, while others call us crazy...

That's right. We are student-athletes. Don't just call us athletes or jocks, because coach will get mad (and I don't know about you, but I'd rather not find out what'll happen). We are students first, athletes second. Because of this glorious title we are required to work extremely hard not just on the field, but in the classroom as well.

Ever since the dodge ball days, I've been one of the most competitive kids in my grade. With my competitiveness came the drive to try all kinds of activities! I've been a dancer, volleyball player, gymnast, cross-country runner, basketball player, and last but definitely not least softball player.

You may be wondering by now 'why is this girl blabbering about sports and all that crap? Who does she think she is?'

Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs

Honestly, I'm here because of my Mass Media class. My fabulous teacher gave us an assignment to create our own blog, and somehow fill it with our ideas. I'm not into cars, or video games, and I can hardly do my own makeup, let alone tell the world wide web how to. 'How about a blog about my life?' I asked myself. Instead of just telling you that I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and psychology class was boring, I've decided to fill it with all kinds of stories about being a student-athlete. FUN RIGHT?!

I got the most incredible opportunity for the next four years to play softball here at WU and I'd like to tell you all about it! Here you will find stories of waking up at 5 am for workouts, trying to eat healthy in the caf, being the new kids on campus, practicing in the blazing sun and all of the crazy stories in between.

If you ever find yourself needing a good laugh check back here for some embarrassing stories, ridiculous pictures, and the in's and out's of a student-athlete!

P.S. I'm the one on the right (: