During the Fall semester of my Junior year, I did something that may student athletes at UMass do not do. I studied abroad. Why was this such a rare occurrence, particularly for a student athlete? For one, student athletes who receive an athletic scholarship are not permitted to go abroad during their training season and/or competition season or off season. Those who do not receive athletic scholarship can go abroad, but it is discouraged. While on the onset, this may seem very restrictive and limiting, for athletes at the Division 1 level, it does make a lot of sense. Getting in one’s best shape does not happen overnight. It requires a rigorous amount of hard training and consistency, which in my opinion (this having been influenced by personal experience) is most effective and is done at its best with the guidance of a coach, the support of one’s teammates and with the right training facilities available. While I do not regret having studied abroad as a student athlete, I did make a bit of a sacrifice when it came to my athletic performance. Continue reading →