On Flagler Pond

Want to hear something terrible? I’m old. I’m 20 years in age but I’m really honestly a grandma. Parts of me creak when I’m walking around, for every minute I sit I it takes me another minute to find the strength to get up. I have literally began to use the word “crotchety” to describe myself. The reason for this has to be because I’m an athlete, we are consistently working our bodies twice as much as a non-athlete. We run, jump, lift, throw, ect. for 4 hours a day, up to 7 days a week. Our bodies are aging twice as quickly as everyone else. Okay, well maybe not aging but disintegrating... 

This should be some insight into exactly why the majority of Kenan Hall elevator users are athletes. If I’m in practice uniform or really anything that says “Flagler Softball” people look at me like I’m a complete outsider, like I don’t belong on the elevator. For a while, embarrassment got the best of me, everyone’s judging eyes had me taking the stairs, even after a 6am lift.. But after a season ending injury to my ankle Freshman year, I was put on crutches for the next 4 months. Needless to say, the elevator and I became the best of friends. After I was healed and finally away from those God forsaken crutches I still felt it was wrong to deny myself the luxury that is the Kenan elevator. So simply put, I don't. 

I can still remember the day where I was lazy enough and somehow brave enough to take the elevator to the second floor in Kenan. I can still hear the literal “boo!” coming from the other 4th floor people who had to wait for me to leave. This remains one of the proudest and most embarrassing moments in my life all to avoid the creaking sound my body makes walking up stairs. 

Would you ask your 80 year old gramdma to walk up 4 flights of the steepest stairs known to man? I didn’t think so. So don’t ask me.  

(Note: Just in case you didn't get it. The title of this post "On Flagler Pond", is a play on the title "On Golden Pond"... a movie about old people.)

Welcome!

     I’ve been thinking a lot about what my first post should be about. I want to incorporate a little taste of everything I’ll be talking about later on so you’ll come back for seconds. So let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Katie Enright, I am a junior at Flagler college and I play softball and I'm the pitcher for our team there... WATCH OUT, we got a student athlete on our hands. That must mean that I’m either entirely too much of an over achiever or the worst possible under achiever.  Yeah, yeah I’ve heard all the stereotypes before. That’s mostly what I’ll be talking about here, the stereotypes given to student athletes and the everyday activities being a student athlete involves. Maybe the non-athletes who might not understand will have a better look at the inside perspective and those who do understand will have someone to relate to.

     The part of this that is so vitally important to me is that everyone understands that yes, I’ve dedicated my life to a sport and yes, it’s helped build who I have become but it does not define me on it’s own. There are days when I love playing softball and I wouldn’t trade it for the world and then there are days where I feel, not only physically, but mentally beat down. The same can be said about so many student athletes. My goal is to show a little bit of both the good and the bad sides of being a student and an athlete all at the same time. Because believe me, the good comes with the bad, everyday is a give and take process, if you're lucky enough it all becomes worth it when you realize the good cancels out the bad. For example, the many friends I've made throughout the years playing softball cancel out the 9 hour bus rides to and from softball fields all over the southeast coast. The 5:30 am practices that break down your body are canceled out by the wins, the awards and the glory that come with achieving the goal your team sets.

     So this blog will my stories, my opinions and my perspective from the inside looking out. My view from the mound.