Imagine being so deeply invested in a sport that you’ve played your entire life – then suddenly, you’re playing in what might be your final season. For senior athletes, that’s not just a thought, it’s reality.
As seniors move into the next stage of their lives, memories of their greatest athletic moments are what they have to share. Anja Kelly, Lake Odessa senior, said her most memorable time as a student-athlete at Albion happened her sophomore year, when the Britons beat Hope College on Jan. 14, 2023.
“It was 100% my favorite memory,” Kelly said. “We were so excited, obviously we were the underdogs, so it was nice to come out on top, and it was at home.”
Other athletes’ memories are more general team rituals, and not necessarily a specific moment. One aspect of Macomb senior Michael Pruchnic’s athletic career he said he will miss the most is walking down to the field before every home game.
Being able to “ground himself in the moment” is something that Pruchnic didn’t understand at first, but during this last season, he said he realized that these times will be his last in Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium.
“The past three years, you’re like, ‘what is this?’” Pruchnic said. “Then, my last season I was like man, this is my last time being on this field, and I just gotta take everything in.”
While these athletes experienced great moments, their careers did not come without hardships. Being able to balance the “triangle” of college life is something student-athletes, like Kelly, encounter.
As an English major with a secondary education concentration, Kelly said it can be “hard” to balance academics, basketball and sorority life.
“”My coaches were really flexible with me, like if we had workouts planned, I would ask for time set aside to go to a classroom, so they’re really helpful with that,” Kelly said.
Music major Miranda McKee, Troy senior and golfer, has also had challenges balancing her athletics and academics.
“Being a music major is pretty demanding; there’s a lot of extra steps,” McKee said. “I miss a lot of practices because of it.”
Navigating the demands of being a student-athlete isn’t easy, but McKee said she credits the support system around her for helping her stay grounded and focused.
Having teammates as mentors is something that has built camaraderie amongst the team, Pruchnic said, adding that his team has meant everything to him and that they are people who “will be at my wedding.”
The entire athletic culture on campus also plays a big role in the student-athlete experience, whether that be going to other sports’ big games or seeing other teams at their own games cheering them on, Pruchic said.
”If there’s a big game coming up, everybody’s gonna come together and they’re gonna be at those games cheering you on,” Pruchnic said.
Kelly echoed a sentiment similar to Pruchnic’s, highlighting the tight-knit culture among Albion’s student-athletes. For her, one of the most memorable aspects of being a student-athlete isn’t just the competition — it’s the community.
“I’ve had so much fun going to other sporting events to support, and having other teams come to ours as well,” Kelly said. “Everyone knows each other, and everyone’s supportive of each other.”
For Kelly, the skills she’s developed playing sports will be applied to her future endeavors.
“I’ve had to learn how to advocate for my teammates and myself and that’s gonna be really important to do in a classroom, advocating for my students,” Kelly said.
As for Robbie Dameron, Macomb senior, who is entering the chiropractic field, he will “take the same fundamental(s)” he developed while playing lacrosse with him to graduate school.
“Everything about what I’ve learned here is what, I think, is the right way to do it,” Dameron said.
The legacy seniors leave behind is something that Dameron “hopes” to have an impact on his team years after he’s gone.
“I definitely hope people realize what hard work and dedication get you, like in your grades and lacrosse,” Dameron said. “I hope my teammates always remember me as a really hard worker.”
As the year progresses, student-athletes may get caught in the difficulties of being an athlete, but Kelly reminds them to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
“There’s so many people that would have loved to play a sport in college and they didn’t have the opportunity to do so,” Kelly said. “This really is a privilege to be here and to be able to play a collegiate sport.”
Leave a Reply