By: Avery Hall, Lead Intern

As a high school athlete, the amount I grew as a person and an athlete from attending four Lead Summits can hardly compare to any other experience. This year, those lessons were put to the test: my freshman year of college as a student-athlete. 

I wanted to share a few lessons I learned from Lead that have helped me make the jump to college athletics:

Asking for help is a MUST.

I must admit, this is one that I’m still working on myself. As athletes, it’s constantly drilled into our brains that we are solely responsible for how we perform, whether it’s through the amount of effort we put into our training, how we fuel our bodies, or even how we stay on top of school work in the midst of all of this. While this is true to an extent, the life of a student athlete is intense; we all deserve help when we need it. And, as it turns out, more often than not there’s going to be someone that wants to help you. None of the successful women that you look up to today got to where they are now alone; behind each of them is an army of people supporting her to help her be the very best version of herself. All you’ve got to do is ask.

Find time for YOU.

Some days, it can feel like all you do is eat, train, go to school, and sleep. It might seem crazy to even attempt to find time to add in something else, but I promise this will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day instead of just going through the motions. Each day, carve out a little bit of time for yourself where you do something that has nothing to do with school, work, or your sport. It might be reading, doing yoga, or taking a walk while listening to a podcast - anything that gives you some time (maybe even just five minutes) to decompress.

What works for someone else might not work for you

One of the best parts of being a college athlete is being a part of a team; but it can also be one of the hardest. When you see a teammate reaching their goals and absolutely killing it, it can be hard to not compare yourself if you aren’t quite performing how you want to. Even though you’re happy for your teammate, you might wonder, What am I doing wrong? Remember this: each of us are different, and what helps your teammates perform at their best might not be exactly the same as what you need to reach your goals.

How Are You Going to Lead? 

The life of a college student athlete is not easy; there are going to be times when you struggle. What defines your success is not avoiding the struggle when it comes your way. Instead, it’s how you decide to deal with the challenges. This is the biggest factor that will show what kind of leader you can be for yourself and for your teammates.