When I started my college search process, I knew I needed to find a team with the perfect balance of academics and athletics. Water polo was very important to me, and I did not want to sacrifice my sport, but neither was I willing to sacrifice rigorous academics or the ability to put my academics before my sport, which I knew couldn’t happen at a Division I school.
I started looking at small, Division III schools in my area, and that’s where I found Scripps and CMS. I applied and my coaches invited me out to spend a day with the team and get a feel for student athlete life. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. This was the day I knew that CMS was right for me. For me it was and is the perfect combination—academics come first, always, but my coaches and teammates push me in and out of the water.
Division III sports have rules that restrict the amount of time we are allowed to spend in practice—during season, we can only spend a certain number of hours as a team — we can only practice 6 days in a row, etc. In the off-season, there are two weeks you get to spend with your team in official practices, and the rest of the off-season is composed of student led practices and weight room work. These rules mean more time for academic and other pursuits, but they also mean that athletes have to be more responsible and self-motivated in conditioning and training.
Water polo is a spring sport, so in the fall, my team lifted twice a week at Roberts Pavilion (a great gym which I encourage everyone to use at least once), and we swam together a couple times a week as well. These workouts were great because I got to adjust to college life but also was able to exercise and bond with my team.
The semester ended, and we went on winter break, but about a week before school started, my team went on a retreat to Oceanside for a few days. There we were able to do team bonding activities before we got into the swing of season. After our retreat we moved into the residence halls before classes started and everyone else came back, practiced together twice a day, ate meals, and prepared our minds and bodies for season.
At the end of January, my team flew across the country to Brown University to play in a tournament. We played against Division I schools (and lost), but we learned a lot about our strengths and weaknesses as a team in the process. This was also the first time I had been in New England, so I was excited. I enjoyed travelling with the team, playing, seeing another part of the country, and even the hotel which was rumored to be haunted!
Upon our return to campus, we continued practicing and playing games, and although our season was cut short when we got sent home due to the pandemic, during the months I had with my team I grew as a player and a person. Unfortunately, I also lost my sophomore season, but those experiences I had my first year and half-season have made me eagerly anticipate returning to my sport soon and being back with my team.
The great thing about being on a CMS team is that it isn’t composed of just Scripps students—my teammates include CMC and Mudd students, and through them, I learn about the other colleges, and am immersed further into 5C culture. And even though the athletes at PP (Pomona-Pitzer) are our “rivals,” they are also our classmates and friends, and the rivalry, though fun, doesn’t get too serious.
Being a member of a CMS athletic team has strengthened my bonds to both my school and the 5C consortium. The discipline of regular workouts and team culture have made me a better and more focused student and widened my social circle. However, you don’t have to be a CMS athlete to be involved in sports and reap the benefits of an active life at the 5Cs! Numerous intramurals and 5C club sports are always accessible and are a great way to get exercise and meet new people. If you have any questions about sports on campus or anything else, feel free to reach out to me by email ([email protected]) or catch me on my Instagram office hours!