Hi! I'm Augusta, I was a collegiate volleyball player for North Carolina Wesleyan College (formally changed to a university in 2023).

In college I played all around. I was a libero, defensive specialist, and an outside (sometimes middle) hitter.

I had a very fun athletic career at Wesleyan, but there are things I would have wanted to know before diving into college athletics.

Getting physically prepared for the season

Before going to college there were many things I was not aware of.

The demands of a college athlete take some mental toughness for sure.

It can feel overwhelming at first but you will start to learn to processes sooner than you think.

Training

Training was one of the most important things in my athletic career that was neglected before entering the college athletic lifestyle.

The training that is needed to be successful in college sports happens during your offseason. Which may be at home for some sports.

Once I was fully immersed into athletics at the next level, I started to experience major injuries, yearly.

Early Injuries

My body was covered with tendonitis in my shoulder, achilles, hamstring, large toe (also referred to as “turf toe”), and in my patellar tendons (knee cap).

This is just one example of how my body was going through wear and tear.

I hadn’t been strengthening the muscles around my joints in the previous years and It was showing. I wasn’t aware of the necessary preparation and maintenance needed to play season after season.

Your body is not used to the physical intensity required to compete in college practice and games. The wear and tear adds up. You may notice it during the season or right after.

This can all be managed though. If you’re properly conditioned, you will excel when others become tired, hurt, or burned out.

Becoming a great athlete

Good athletes know training is important, but great athletes know to take pride in actively maintaining bodily health when training.

In doing so, you can almost guarantee great results when competing.

In college athletics, training for your sport becomes your job.

The level of intensity is increased weekly. You have to balance lifting, practices, and fitness tests, while continuing to be a student.

Knowing this and being prepared to experience this are very important.

Being unprepared can lead to athletes becoming overwhelmed and disappointed based on the level of dedication needed to maintain this career.

You never know how any situation will play out, but having a general idea that hard work and dedication will be an expectation can slowly mentally prepare the athlete to work vigorously in the future.

With this being said, the process as a whole becomes more comfortable when you realize your peers have worked just as hard as you, and everyone is on a common path with the same goal in mind.

New realities

There's a few realities that have to be recognised when you go into a different level of competition.

Do not get comfortable.

Note that someone will always be better than you, if they are, do not let that become the standard. It is a race to see who will get those positions and it is all based on hard work.

Who is going to put the most time into making sure that their skill is constantly growing?

Are we getting extra reps in?

Staying after to correct mistakes?

These are important things to incorporate into your daily life as a college athlete.

These adjustments may sound intimidating but once you see all of the benefits, you will be okay with the challenges you come in contact with and soon see it as your “new normal”.

Don’t forget your education

“If you are good at your sport, you will not have to do as much school work” is false. This has been thrown around for years and leading students to being unprepared for academics in college.

Your academics in college are just as, or more important, than your sport. In reality, they are hand and hand once you reach this level of competition.

Understand that without school, there is no sport. In order to grow your athletic career, you have to maintain your academic career.

In college, playing a sport or not, you are forced to face a lot of new responsibilities on your own, and are expected to create your own structure.

When you add your specific sport into the equation this makes things more challenging, but if you embrace the challenge you can see how having this type of rigorous schedule can aid you in gaining autonomy in your life as you enter adulthood.

Again, eventually you will start to view your situation as your “new normal”.

Keeping these things in mind while in preparation for the next step in your athletic career can benefit you along the way.

Setting the tone of how you perform is essential, whether it's in the classroom or on the court, field, etc.

- Augusta Preston

Surviving—and Thriving—in College Sports: The Truth About Injuries, Time Demands, and Education