Freaky Friday

The second I stepped back on campus, I felt equally at home and like a fish out of water. 

It was as if I was cast for the new “Freaky Friday” … but instead of being the star of the party teenager (Lindsay Lohan) I once was, I am now the rapidly aging Jamie Lee Curtis mortified by what people choose to wear to class. (The groutfit is forever the correct choice.)  

So much has changed, yet so much remains the same.

The name of your Freshman dorm has changed, but it’s the same building.

There are new faces on staff, but it still only takes you 10 minutes to find your people.

There’s a Jersey Mike's in town, but the line for Pal’s is still wrapped around the block.

The turf is new, but the stadium has the same feel.

The dance routine is new, but the pre-game song is the same. 

All it proves is life’s cliche – “the only thing constant is change” – is undoubtedly true. 

Being a collegiate athletics alum is such a weird phenomenon – it’s simultaneously feeling nostalgic for what was but also being kind of glad the hardest is behind you. 

You want more late nights playing cards with teammates without waking up for an 8 am. 

You want to have hotel sleepovers with your best friends but you don’t want to spend 8 hours on a bus. 

You long to go back and play but are sore for a week after a single running clock game.

You want to put on your uniform but you know another girl wears your number now.

You want the championship feeling without having to put in championship effort.

But in your heart, you know you cannot have one of these without the other. 

That’s the truth of the student-athlete experience. You don’t get to pick and choose the pieces you want, you have to experience all of it – the greatest parts, the sucky parts, the sad parts, the indifferent parts, the bittersweet parts, and everything in between.

Ultimately, the memories and benefits far outweigh the sacrifices (in my mind). A few weeks ago, I spent over 14 hours (yes – 14, the drive to Wise and back is a lengthy one) in the car with some of my best friends. Not once did we run out of things to talk about. We reminisced on what life was, recapped life now, and looked forward to what life has in store next. 

The relationships with my teammates are invaluable to me and I don’t think they’d be as strong as they are if I hadn’t seen this group of women at their best and their worst. I witnessed them in tears over life’s woes and elated at life’s joys. And I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t keep in touch as well as I should…

However, I know that if I called any one of them in crisis and made an ask – they wouldn’t hesitate to assist. And I would do the same for them, it’s this unspoken and unbreakable bond that we have. Regardless of what happened when we were 18 – 22 years old, we only want the best for one another.

I will never be party star Lindsay Lohan again, however, I have a newfound affection for my role as Jamie Lee Curtis. 

I had my fun.

I earned my rings.

I put in my time. 

Now I get to sit back and enjoy the weekend reunions...

We laugh over card games with new faces (Sorry for the L, @Robin)

We find out the Sophomore class STARTED high school the year we GRADUATED college (still not over it @Jaylah)

We sip margaritas in the middle of the afternoon (while the team is running around competing in Silver Saber)

We find our championship tee on the clearance rack in the bookstore (O U C H)

And we still get to participate in the pre-game dance routine (#WeStartedIt)