Feb. 24, 2008

This feature is one of many that can be read on the Patriot League website throughout the month of February - a month the Patriot League designates to promote and highlight women in sports. The following story appeared in the Patriot League's Women in Sports magazine.

Visit the Patriot League's Celebrating Women in Sports webpage by clicking here. This page was launched last year and has been updated with some new items for 2008. The Celebrating Women in Sports webpage includes eight different links that will allow the user to read about the many accomplishments of the women in the Patriot League, while also serving to promote girls and women in sport. Highlights of this webpage are the Patriot League Celebrating Women in Sports magazine and photo gallery.

Academics & Athletics: A Perfect Balance

"It has been my experience that my athletic obligation to rowing has only contributed to my academic success through necessitating time management, nutritional balance, and an adequate amount of sleep in order to maintain focus in all aspects of my life. Aside from these more technical, commonly heard benefits from a juxtaposition of athletics and academics, the experience acquired from team dynamic, having parental figures in coaches and a healthy outlet for stress relief has given me an indescribable self-confidence and sense of accomplishment."
- Lindsay Piotti, Holy Cross Rowing

"Participation in a sport is an outlet for getting away from studying and classes; practice takes your mind off of homework and other stresses of college life. Besides the stress relief and benefits that the physical activity provides, a hard practice can help clear your mind for you to get back to work."
- Megan Howell, Army Cross Country and Track and Field

"Being a scholar-athlete has helped me tremendously in school. As an athlete, I have several hours of my day that are automatically devoted to tennis and that can't be spent on schoolwork. This is a great lesson on time management because if I have practice, I need to spend every minute I have during the rest of my day being productive and getting work done. With everything else I have going on during the day, practice or working out is also a great stress reliever. It gives me energy to get work done the rest of the night, and I find that I am more productive when I have practice."
- Jacqui Bonder, Lafayette Tennis

"The strength that I have gained physically and mentally on the field can be directly related to the classroom. The mental strength that I have gained playing college athletics helps me cope with pressures that come with exams and paper deadlines. The physical strength helps to keep me focused during long nights of studying. Being an athlete has given me the drive to do the best in the classroom as I can."
- Jessica Sabo, Colgate Softball

"Swimming is all about perfect repetition on every lap at every practice. This attitude follows through to my class work as I have learned to work hard and with passion in all of my classes in order to get enough rest to keep up with the training."
- Michelle Holleran, American Swimming and Diving