What does a student-athlete at Liberty University look like?
I am currently a part of Liberty University Division 1 Lacrosse Program. Many people wonder what an average day looks like from a student-athlete perspective. This varies through different sports teams and programs based on in-season versus off-season. Lacrosse is a Spring sport, therefore, our off-season is in the fall.
Off-Season
Our fall season (off-season) begins at the end of August and ends at the end of November. This usually commences in correlation to the start of the school semester. The fall semester features fall ball, run tests, team bonding, Christ-giving, etc.
The biggest difference in the Spring versus Fall schedule is the practice time. For off-season sports, there are 8-hour weeks and 20-hour weeks. This essentially is the time we are allowed to practice together as a team with our coaches.
8 Hour Weeks
For 8-hour weeks, we practice two hours a day, four times a week. This is divided between practice, lift, conditioning, or film. Lift or conditioning will occur first, accompanied by practice. Lift and conditioning are from 6:00-7:00 am, followed by practice ending at 8:00 am.
8-hour weeks occur after a break such as summer break or winter break. Once we come back from a break we are tested on our fitness to ensure we were accountable over the break. For our team specifically, we divide the running into three various tests.
20 Hour Weeks
For 20-hour weeks, we practice three hours a day, six times a week. Similar to 8–hour weeks, lift or conditioning come before practice. Lift and/or Conditioning remain an hour in length, but our practice time bumps up to 2 hours rather than 1.
DITL (Day in the Life)
Our lacrosse team is very diverse in their intended majors, and this varies our personal schedule. For me personally, I am a Strategic Communications major with an intended minor in Graphic Design. All of my classes for the fall semester are typically in the early afternoon.
On an average fall morning, I wake up at 4:50 am, to leave my house by 5:25 am. I live off campus, therefore I have a lot of travel time for practice starting at 6:00 am. After practice, my teammates and I either eat on-campus breakfast or go home and make it ourselves. A classic go-to breakfast for me is scrambled eggs with cheese, yogurt, and coffee. Following breakfast I have to get ready for the school day.
After I shower and get dressed, I leave my house to go to class. My classes begin around 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm every day. These classes are related to my major.
Post classes, I make my way over to the LAC (Liberty Athletic Center). This building accommodates athletes for treatment, fueling, weight room, study room, tutors, etc. I typically receive treatment or do recovery every afternoon. Afterward, I obtain snacks from the fueling stations, a snack bar that allows you three selections per day.
Once I am done, I leave the LAC and head back home. This time I used towards homework and at-home maintenance. Since we wake up early for practice, I tend to eat dinner around 5:30 pm. My day tends to wind down after this, as I get ready for bed and set out my practice clothes for the next morning. Once I set my morning alarm I put my phone away and go to bed.
Balancing schoolwork and lacrosse
Being a Division athlete has its perks, however, it is important to stay focused on school. It is easy to dismiss work and prioritize other things. This was a big learning curve for me going into freshman year. However, through sacrifice and hard work, I have been able to make it work for me. This experience hasn’t ended but has been the most developmental span of events that I have ever been involved with.
