So what did I miss out on?
So what did I miss out on?
1) a bunch of douche bags who all were their home town hero.
2) cross country races that no one attends
3) and other weird stuff that has over the last 15 years turned into butt chugging at my alma mater
Nothing.
Not much, my team is pretty cool and really tight. But I'm sure you could make real friends many other ways. My coach sucks. A lot of bullshht like meetings and stuff that would be better spent going to more parties and getting more drunker and doing more girlses and stuff. All in all I probably would just call it quits after high school and get into crossfit competition.
How bitter are those first two responses?? Wow.
You can obviously enjoy college a lot without running d-1 (more free time, more time for school, less pain, etc).
But as a d-1 alum, I can honestly say you missed out on a lot of cool stuff.
First of all, your teammates become your automatic closest friends/roommates, connections that last a lifetime (and networking that can come in handy later). They become your friends the second you step on campus for preseason freshman year, and you automatically have a group of people who are compatible/share your lifestyle. Those relationships are strengthened with every run, every 6am workout, every time you travel around the country. Other groups of friends in college don't have experiences like that. These definitely holds true at d-2 and 3, but I wonder if those teams spend as much time together as they do at the d-1 level (could be wrong, I only have the d-1 perspective).
The experiences are definitely another big part - being able to travel all over the country running against some of the best teams and individuals in the country, even if you get your ass kicked, is incredible. You could be running against future or current Olympians and all-Americans. And the big-time d-1 meets are not just little meets that no one goes to. Going to other big, awesome schools and seeing some of the best guys there are run incredible races is cool for anyone who likes the sport, and we got to do it all the time.
Other experiences that you get at any level of college running - early morning practice, unreal workouts, crazy long runs, stuff like that is indescribable - it's crazy to think back on some of the stuff we did, and think...how the hell did I do that? College running will put you in the best shape of your life and lead you to do things you would have thought unimaginable for yourself.
Free stuff - every college kid loves free stuff. The amount of money athletic programs pour into their athletes at the d-1 level is absurd. If you're lucky enough to get a scholarship and/or books/meals paid for, enough said. But the traveling is expensive- paid for. Meals when traveling - paid for. Shoes, spikes, clothes, apparel, equipment etc from companies like Nike, adidas, UnderArmour adds up to thousands and thousands of dollars over four years.
People think it's cool. This should by no means be a significant thing. If it is, you're in the sport for the wrong reason. But as a graduate, I've found people think it's pretty cool I was an athlete at a big time school. Plus when you're in college, chicks dig it.
Obviously, a lot of these hold true no matter what level you run at, but it is different in d-1. There are also obviously pros to not running in college which I mentioned before. Regardless, I'm sure you loved college either way. But after college is pretty sweet too!
a little bitter??? wrote:
How bitter are those first two responses?? Wow.
You can obviously enjoy college a lot without running d-1 (more free time, more time for school, less pain, etc).
But as a d-1 alum, I can honestly say you missed out on a lot of cool stuff.
First of all, your teammates become your automatic closest friends/roommates, connections that last a lifetime (and networking that can come in handy later). They become your friends the second you step on campus for preseason freshman year, and you automatically have a group of people who are compatible/share your lifestyle. Those relationships are strengthened with every run, every 6am workout, every time you travel around the country. Other groups of friends in college don't have experiences like that. These definitely holds true at d-2 and 3, but I wonder if those teams spend as much time together as they do at the d-1 level (could be wrong, I only have the d-1 perspective).
The experiences are definitely another big part - being able to travel all over the country running against some of the best teams and individuals in the country, even if you get your ass kicked, is incredible. You could be running against future or current Olympians and all-Americans. And the big-time d-1 meets are not just little meets that no one goes to. Going to other big, awesome schools and seeing some of the best guys there are run incredible races is cool for anyone who likes the sport, and we got to do it all the time.
Other experiences that you get at any level of college running - early morning practice, unreal workouts, crazy long runs, stuff like that is indescribable - it's crazy to think back on some of the stuff we did, and think...how the hell did I do that? College running will put you in the best shape of your life and lead you to do things you would have thought unimaginable for yourself.
Free stuff - every college kid loves free stuff. The amount of money athletic programs pour into their athletes at the d-1 level is absurd. If you're lucky enough to get a scholarship and/or books/meals paid for, enough said. But the traveling is expensive- paid for. Meals when traveling - paid for. Shoes, spikes, clothes, apparel, equipment etc from companies like Nike, adidas, UnderArmour adds up to thousands and thousands of dollars over four years.
People think it's cool. This should by no means be a significant thing. If it is, you're in the sport for the wrong reason. But as a graduate, I've found people think it's pretty cool I was an athlete at a big time school. Plus when you're in college, chicks dig it.
Obviously, a lot of these hold true no matter what level you run at, but it is different in d-1. There are also obviously pros to not running in college which I mentioned before. Regardless, I'm sure you loved college either way. But after college is pretty sweet too!
+1
ninjaneer wrote:
+1
+2. I wouldn't trade my days running D1 for anything. I still had a blast in college, got good grades, went to parties and made an awesome group of friends who I still hang out with quite a bit. Nothing quite like running with a group of people day in and day out for four years and accomplishing goals like making Nationals and running PRs.
You missed out on a humbling experience.
Well, it was for me going from commonly winning or at least placing in a majority of my HS races to coming in at the tail end of the non-seeded heats in my college races. Wasn't great for self-esteem, but I did make friends and stayed in great shape.
you missed out on potentially dating a high caliber female runner, who are easily some of the most unbearably high maintenance and miserable people on the planet.