Being a student athlete is often taken for granted with the challenges presented by both academics and athletics.

But the drive to do so for some is truly fueled by their love of the sport.

“Being a student athlete means that everything you’ve worked for your entire life has been rewarded with the opportunity to play a sport that you love,” senior baseball player James McCool said.

Even if it means pushing yourself to compete at the highest level possible, it doesn’t deter the love of the game.

“More than anything, I learned to deal with adversity and always remain positive even when things may not be going the way you planned,” senior lacrosse captain Sonny Round said.

Being a student athlete also teaches valuable life lessons, such as time management.

“Mostly being a student athlete taught me how to balance my education and athletics at the same time, and how to focus and keep my priorities straight,” said senior football player Colton Kirkpatrick.

Many student athletes agree that playing these past four years has turned them into someone with a mentality of success for the rest of their life.

“Playing here is an opportunity to grow as an individual in all facets of life,” senior basketball player Alan Flannigan said. “It challenges you athletically and more importantly mentally,”

Another often reiterated positive to playing a sport at Lafayette are the friendship and atmosphere of being on a team.

“What is most important is the relationships you create along the way,” senior golf team member Doug Fernandez said. “My teammates will continue to be my friends and supporters for years to come.”

The athletic community at Lafayette is unique because such a large portion of the student body is an athlete. So, it is easy to find other students that share similar experiences.

“Being a student athlete is being a part of something bigger than yourself and part of a group of people you grow with over the course of four years,” senior field hockey player Jenna Seybert said.

“The most important thing I learned from being an athlete at Lafayette is the value in belief, caring and consistently fighting for something that is bigger than yourself,” senior men’s soccer player Julian Plummer said.