I am not athletic in the slightest. However, I've been able to take advantage of a number of amazing opportunities through our athletics department at Oberlin. Our main gym, Philips Gym, is completely free for all students. They offer free classes, like boxing and yoga, which are available for students to drop in and enjoy. I've also gone to the gym with friends, and even if I don't know how to use all of the fancy machinary, have still found ways to participate with my trusty treadmill. Lastly, my ultimate favorite way to get involved with athletics at Oberlin is to support my friends who are on teams! One of those friends is Caleigh, who is a Oberlin College Cross Country and Track & Field alumni. In order to give you guys a sense of the other side of athletics (in this case what it's like to actually be on a team) I decided to interview her and find out more about her experience. I hope you enjoy this brief discussion and can imagine yourself being involved in athletics whether you're on a team or not!
Thanks so much for answering some of my questions about being a student athlete at Oberlin! First of all, congratulations on your graduation from Oberlin. Would you mind giving a brief overview of yourself and where you’re at now?
Sure! I graduated last May from Oberlin with a double major in English and Cinema & Media Studies, and a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. I ran for the Oberlin College Cross Country and Track & Field teams all four years. I also had a radio show and worked at Oberlin College Lanes. Currently I am pursuing a masters in Public Humanities at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
What sport did you do at Oberlin?
I was on the Cross Country and Track & Field teams all four years that I was at Oberlin, and was lucky enough to be a captain my senior year.
What would you say your time commitment for that looked like?
I was always in season (fall cross country, winter indoor track, spring outdoor track) so I would say that XCTF was a big time commitment. We had practice every weekday afternoon (4:40!!), a long run most Sunday mornings, and meets on some Saturdays from August through May. It was quite a lot of hard work, but my teammates and coaches truly made my time at Oberlin such a special experience.
Can you talk a bit about how you balanced school work with practice?
I had a trusty planner and google calendar to ensure I always knew what was on my daily and weekly to do list. This helped me feel like I was making progress in homework and in running, even when in the day to day sometimes it felt overwhelming. It was not always perfect– I can be a bit of a procrastinator– but I learned to try to be grateful for the purpose that both school and running gave me.
What is the best part about being on a team?
Having teammates who cheer you on in all that you do! I met many of my closest friends at Oberlin by being teammates and spending so much time together at meals, practice, and studying.
What was the most difficult part?
Finding community outside of the team. It was very easy to spend all of our meals together, and always study together– but there are other cool fun people to get to know at Oberlin too! Sometimes it was hard to choose to get coffee with new people, or choose to go to a talk that happened at practice time.
What is something you didn’t expect about being on a team, but you think prospies should know about?
I did not expect to eat so many meals at the dining hall with teammates. It seems like a small thing, but eating alone at the dining hall is inevitable in college (and a good life skill to have). But being a part of a team meant that I did not often eat alone, which was a great thing. Sometimes that meant eating with teammates I didn’t really know, and sometimes that meant talking about very strange things as small talk. But prospies should be prepared that they will rarely eat alone if they are a part of a team, and to cherish those awkward, amazing memories that will occur.
Are you still running? How did being on a team impact you in your life beyond Oberlin?
Yes, I am still running. I have been a little more relaxed with running, but when I get out there it is always a highlight of my day. Being on OCXCTF helped grow my self confidence, and helped start friendships that I hope will be long lasting. It taught me the value of a team support system. It also taught me that I will always be a part of OCXCTF even though I am no longer on campus. Go yeo!!
