A Letter To All Athletes Who Just Signed Their National Letter Of Intent

To all athletes who just signed their National Letter of Intent:

First of all, Congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment and one that you should be extremely proud of. Only you know how much time, sacrifice, tears, tough seasons/coaches, hard workouts, long nights, etc. you’ve been through to get you to where you are now. Great job.

Before you make the move from high school athletics to college athletics, I want to give you some advice that I wish I would have received prior to starting my career at TCU:

1. Make the most out of traveling. Use plane/bus time to read and study. Or you can use that time to sleep as well.

2. Use your resources. Whether that be academic or athletic… use them!

3. Take treatment/recovery seriously. I understand that nothing may hurt you your freshman year, but still do it and do it well. You will be thankful that you did.

4. Become friends with your academic advisor, both in athletics and in your specific college.

5. Be on time everywhere. (Aka: be early)

6. Take your vitamins and drink water. In order to play, you have to stay healthy.

7. Push yourself in the weight room. Take your workouts serious and get the most out of them.

8. Create healthy habits. Living in the dorms isn’t easy. You don’t have your Mom there to give you fruits and vegetables and to cook for you. Make sure that you take care of yourself.

9. Go. To. Sleep. It’s crucial to get enough sleep when you push your body hard.

10. Be nice to all trainers and managers that you work with. They put in so much time, energy, and effort into making you a better athlete and often times they go unnoticed.

11. Get to know your professors. Go out of your way to introduce yourself on the first day of class.

12. Make friends with people in your classes. This is huge. There are going to be weeks where you will miss multiple classes and you will need to get notes from someone.

13. Stay on top of your classes. College isn’t like high school where you can wait till the last minute to do everything. Time management is key.

14. Buy a planner and use it. Some do this digitally as well, totally up to you, but write down all assignments and tests as soon as you find out when they are.

15. You’re going to be homesick, and when you are, don’t just stay in your room. Ask a teammate to do something with you, go for a walk or a jog, do something to get your mind off of it.

16. Trust the Process. Growth, both physically and mentally, isn’t always pretty and fun. It’s usually hard and messy, but through all of the mess, remember to trust that you are where you need to be.

17. Your non-athlete friends are going to party, and there are going to be some nights that you will be jealous of them, but know that you will have a lifetime to party after you’re done with your career. They won’t have the stories and memories that you will have.

18. Network with those around you. Believe it or not, one day you’re going to have to get a job. I know you don’t want to think about that now, but you can be proactive by making as many friends as possible in college.

19. Work on growing in your Faith. Regardless of the religion that you practice, continue to dive deeper into it.

20. Know your role and do it well. Whether you see playing time your freshman year or not, you can always help the team.

21. If you are frustrated with your coach/coaches, talk to them. Coaches are humans too. If there is something wrong, ask to meet with them. They will appreciate it.

22. You are a role model. There are going to be so many kids who are going to look up to you and want to be just like you. As a collegiate student-athlete you are given a special platform and it’s one that must be taken seriously.

23. Believe in YOU and know that YOU belong. If you don’t believe in you, no-one else will.

Playing a sport at the collegiate level is something that most only dream of. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that are placed in-front of you and soak in every second of your career because it sure goes by fast.

-Alexia Heist