By Turner Shield

A day in the life of a college student is very busy, interesting, and filled with activities, but a college athlete’s day is all of a regular student’s and more. Every college athlete lives a different life, but most revolve around a strict calendar filled with practices, classes, workouts, and more. A regular college student’s life is generally challenging, having to study for school and write for classes, but adding a sport to that schedule can make it even more difficult with stress. 

Shield (right) with teammates. Photo courtesy of Hank Shield.

Every college sport is different with practices and team meetings, difficult in its own way. My brother Hank Shield (‘23) plays baseball at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Rhodes is in the Southern Athletic Association Conference, which is based in the southeastern part of the US. Rhodes already has their full spring season scheduled, in which they will play a total of 40 regular season games. I interviewed him to get a feel for his day-to-day life  and how he deals with school, baseball, lifting, and his social life. 

Shield has just finished his freshman fall season for Rhodes baseball. The season went well for him, as he is now in the starting rotation for pitching and is a very useful batter. In the start of the fall season, his team had a scrimmage between the new freshman players and the starting seniors. At the end of the game, the score was tied, and Shield was up to bat. On the first pitch, he hit a walk-off home run to seal the game. His favorite accomplishment as a student athlete so far is pitching 90 mph off the mound earlier this year.

Shield and his team have a very strict schedule for practices, games, and workouts. He practiced five times a week during the fall pre-season. On weekdays, his team practices for two hours a day, while on Friday they practice for three hours. On Sunday, his team practices from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. while scrimmaging later on in the day. With all of his team’s lifts, practices, and scrimmages, it is hard to manage time between sports and school. Shield manages time between school and baseball by waking up early and getting work done before classes. If he has work to do in the day, then he will get it done during lunch. On days when he has excessive amounts, he will go to the library late at night and work on schoolwork.  

As college athlete, most players look forward to the games, but it isn’t always easy to stay motivated. Shield said, “For me, it is easy to stay motivated at college and during baseball, because I like to compete with my teammates, and seeing my teammates work hard makes me want to work harder.” His favorite part of being a student athlete is baseball, because it keeps him active, and it is something he looks forward to and enjoys. His least favorite part of being a student athlete is having less free time than regular students, because it makes school more stressful.

Being on a team in any level of a sport can bond players together with new people and show new ways to see the world and your environment. Being a student athlete has affected Shield’s social life, and he says his closest friends are on the baseball team. Many athletes have a good luck charm or may be superstitious. During Shield’s preseason scrimmages, and before every game or practice, he would drink a Red Bull and leave the empty can in his locker for good luck.