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GOLDEN EAGLE SPORTS HOTLINE 585.395.5168 |
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2006 Senior Student-Athlete Luncheon
Speech Given by Jen Feneli
I would first like to start off by congratulating all of you on being collegiate athletes. College sports is rigorous, physically demanding and time consuming and being a Division III athlete you played solely for the love of the game... not for a scholarship or for free practice gear every season or for any of the other perks that athletes at the other level get... you are the purest form of a collegiate athlete and for that you should be very proud.
When Lin Case asked me to come back and speak to you all I had to think back five years and put myself into your shoes. And what seemed to come across my mind the most as I was reminiscing was the excitement and anxiety of beginning a new chapter in my life. The safety net that I had and you currently have at Brockport with people knowing who you are and you experiencing so much success is, with one walk across a stage at graduation, taken away.
What I can see now but didn't realize then, when I was at the point in my life that you are in yours now, is just how much being a collegiate athlete prepares a person for the challenges life presents them.
Being an athlete, in the spot light, with people constantly watching your every move you learn what it is like to be pushed. Your boss may be just like your coach, expecting the most out of you, demanding you to work hard. You are prepared for that and probably already expect more from yourself than others could ever expect from you.
Being an athlete has taught you time management. Between practices, games, weight room, training room, classes, studying, family and a social life you have learned to be a master at juggling your precious time and you are probably better at getting all those things done than many people that have less to do than yourselves.
Being an athlete you learn to work together with those that surround you. Your colleagues in this next phase of your life will represent your teammates. You are used to compromising, relying on others, communicating and pulling your weight.
Being an athlete has taught you about hard work. You have spent countless hours attempting to perfect your sport skills. You know what it takes to improve and to be the best that you can be. You are prepared for the challenges that you will face in the work force.
Being an athlete you have learned to deal with success and failure. You learn real life lessons about getting up when you are down and staying up when you are on the top. You have experienced the confidence, camaraderie, pride and satisfaction you get from winning and you learn that losing brings a drive to work harder and an understanding that life isn't a fairy tale.
Your apprehensions are normal, they are real and they are expected. But when you are going through the inevitable roller coaster of emotions in the next several months as your lives change from comfortable, to confusing, to hopefully fulfilling, think back on your collegiate sports career and rest easy knowing that you have a leg up in the game of life because of the games you played while you were here at Brockport.
I wish you the best of luck with everything that lies ahead of you and once again congratulations on being a collegiate athlete!
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