Dec. 19, 2008

About the author>>
Class: Senior | Major: Christian Studies | Hometown: Manchester, Mo.

A senior member of the Lancers swimming and diving team, Wahlman is a six-time All-America selection...has won five National Championships…owns school records in both the one-meter and three-meter boards.

Learn more>> California Baptist University | Cal Baptist Athletics   

Under Pressure | December 19, 2008

Being a student athlete is not always an easy cake to slice.  I have found so many times wishing that I had a little more time; one more hour to nap, one more episode of Lost, or one more song on Rock Band.  There is so much time involved in being a student-athlete at a University and not to mention even more time in being a college student.  I find my schedule constantly barraged by team events, practices, homework, projects, friends, and many other activities.  I mean college only lasts four years, so you got to do everything before you leave right? 

Even though I find myself under pressure all of the time with due dates for enormous papers and lengthy tests the next day, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.  Being part of a team has been such a rewarding part in my life.  Sure, many of my weekends are sometimes spent all day on a pool deck, but knowing that I am a part of something where others count on me makes it worthwhile.  There can be a lot of times were it just seems like everything has piled up, coach decides to up the practices, while teachers (just so coincidentally) add a project or paper to the mix of assignments for the semester.  I never quite understood how everything just so happens to pile up all at once.  Besides this though, I find that is where I am in my element.  When push comes to shove, I have to get eights on my next dive to have a chance of winning or I need to get this paper done in order to get an A in class, I find that my body starts working.  I feel more alive and energetic than ever.  Of course there are those times when you wish it would all go away and you could just relax for a minute, but those times of being under pressure really help mold us and shape us into who we are.  It gives us the chance to dig deep and work at something with all that we are. 

I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to go to school and not be an athlete at the same time.  In fact I am really not sure what I would do with all of the free time.  I do know though that being under pressure as an athlete has helped me dig deep and work hard at all of the things in my life, not taking things for granted. 

By Ben Wahlman | posted by the NAIA | December 19, 2008