Written by Delaney Sisson, News Writer
Photos by Asia Holcomb, Bryan College Marketing Department, November 2024
I am on the Bryan College volleyball team. Being a student athlete is rewarding but can also be challenging. While there are many challenges, there are also many joys.
Traveling is one of the main challenges we go through as student athletes. One of the biggest challenges I face is making sure to stay on top of my schoolwork. It can be difficult because we miss class several times.
On the other hand, traveling with my teammates is a great joy. We make a lot of memories that will last a lifetime, on our trips. Being with the team is so much fun and enjoyable. On our way to games, we have “bus buddies.” Coach assigns everyone a partner and you chat for about thirty minutes. I have learned so much about my teammates doing bus buddies, and I really enjoy it. It is a great team bonding activity.
Before we leave for our long road trips, Coach Day will get us lunch. The past couple of times we have gotten Firehouse Subs. We will also get food after our games. A team favorite is obviously the famous Chick-fil-A. If we are lucky, our coach will also get us ice cream after the games. Everyone always gets so excited, because how could you not?
When we played at Bluefield and Kentucky Christian, we stayed in a hotel Friday night. We get new roommates every trip which is an important aspect of our team chemistry. We also get to eat breakfast at the hotel in the mornings as a team.
I would say another one of the biggest challenges we face traveling for a game is riding on a bus for more than three hours and then playing a volleyball game. That is physically and mentally tough. It is tough to sit on a bus for hours and then get your body ready to play.
Devotions are very important on our team. We assign a different player to share a devotion each game which we do in the locker room before we go warm up. While on the road we keep devotion a priority.
