Our Featured Athletes
Amelia
Our first Mindful Athlete feature is about Amelia. Amelia is a VCU Women's Lacrosse Commit from New Jersey that has dealt with a lot of adversity through her career. Let's learn more about her journey. Heading into 10th Grade Amelia was dealing with two torn back-to-back ACLS, and a torn meniscus, sustained in just one year of her life. Now many would have decided to give up, to move away from the game that had caused so much pain. But not Amelia. She realized lacrosse was her passion and she wanted to pursue it because of the joy that it brought her. So she hit her rehab with renewed vigor and a never quite mentality. She also understood that everything happens for a reason, what it is, it is what is. This was something that she couldn’t control, but only something that she had to deal with. Amelia reflects on how her friends taught her to improve as a person even through the dark times there were still reasons to be happy because when you hit rock bottom the only way is up. She remembers how long and grueling the rehabilitation process was. Some have a hard time coming back from one ACL but coming back from two is a whole different animal and add in a torn meniscus, it is a truly remarkable feat. Amelia often thinks back on her return to the lacrosse field. She remembers the cheers and the happiness she felt running back on to the turf. Amelia’s story teaches us the importance of perspective. Life is never going to be easy, it takes strong mental fortitude to keep going and see the bright side. She came back from the injuries a new person, someone who understood themselves and saw how much they are capable of. All in all, Amelia is happy to be back healthy and competing. She looks forward to her senior campaign in the Spring before heading off to VCU next fall.
Luke
Our second Mindful Athlete feature is about Luke. Luke is a Freshman Baseball Player at Muhlenberg College from New Jersey who shared his experience on the college recruiting process. Let's learn more about Luke. Luke describes his process as one that challenged him not just physically but mentally as well. College recruiting is a process that can be easy for some but can be extremely difficult for others. He talks about the importance of self-confidence and how that played a role in his journey. He talked about how, when you go to a showcase, you are identified by a number. That number becomes who you are for that weekend or day depending on how long the showcase is. Luke describes it as he was no longer Luke Foley, but was just like everyone else. He recalls at a particular showcase where they would announce names of kids that threw over a certain velocity threshold. Luke wasn’t that type of pitcher. He relied on his stuff to throw strikes and get outs. So he threw his bullpen, not hearing his name called, he thought he wasn’t good enough. Luke continued to do well at camps but didn’t get the interest that his performances should have gotten him. However, Luke persevered. He kept on doing what he did best, and ultimately he landed at Muhlenberg where he is going to compete for a top spot in the upcoming Spring. Luke’s story teaches us the importance of being ourselves even in the face of adversity. We learn the importance of not changing because other people are getting recognition. A lot of athletes can get caught in the loop of seeing other people doing one thing so they try and replicate it but fail which ruins their confidence even more. Confidence, especially through a tough recruiting process, is pivotal. Staying confident allows you to perform well even when you think no one is watching because someone is always watching. Luke reflected on his grind and felt that the tough journey led to a satisfying ending.
Jake
Our third Mindful Athlete feature is about Jake, a Freshman Baseball Player at Binghamton University from Pennsylvania. Jake talks about his journey through his college recruiting process. Let's learn more about his story. Jake as a young player dreamed about playing college baseball. He had aspirations of playing at the Division 1 level. Now his dreams have come reality as he landed at Binghamton, a favorite to win the American East Conference. Jake’s recruiting process started early as a Freshman. He thinks back to how little he knew about college and the recruiting process. He didn’t know where to start when talking to coaches that approached him. He didn’t know where he wanted to play, what he wanted to major in, or even how big or where he wanted to go. However, through experience in talking to different coaches, he learned more and gained more confidence. He started visiting schools when he was a Sophomore and started to figure out what he liked but also what he didn’t like. Jake started to figure out what was important to him, he realized that he wanted to go somewhere where he felt a sense of belonging. Jake also realized that he needed a strong connection with the coaches and an opportunity to play. Just having that opportunity to make an impact was a key drawing point in selecting Binghamton. So, Jake made his decision, he chose Binghamton for its strong academics, the relationship with a great coaching staff, the opportunity to play, as well as a tremendous facility. Jake looks back on his process and marvels at the idea that he has gotten to where he is today. But Jake realizes that he still has a lot more baseball left. To continue to make his dreams a reality he has to work hard and prove his ability. He knows he’s going to get an opportunity it’s just going to be up to him to make the most of it. Jake looks to build on a strong Fall season and help the Bearcats have a solid season in the Spring.