A Reflection of my time as a student athlete at Eastern

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

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When did you learn how to swim? I was four and at my local public swimming pool. I have two older brothers, and growing up, I wanted to do everything they did. At the time, I was jealous that they could go off freely to any area of the pool without my mom present. This moment of annoyance quickly began my journey with swimming, and it continued for sixteen years. 

Being a good swimmer was always a bragging point I used as a child. I was always the kid at the public pool who took every race as if it were the Olympics. Looking back, having a sport follow me throughout my entire childhood is something irreplaceable. It taught me valuable lessons regarding sportsmanship, respect, devotion, and many more. The most valuable one was confidence. While the sport of swimming is a team sport, at the end of the day, your individual performance impacts everything else. Going behind the blocks, I couldn’t rely on anyone else but myself, and I needed to be confident in my abilities and skills to be able to perform at my highest level. The confidence I gained early on helped me throughout my later childhood and early adolescence.

So it’s obvious that swimming has always been a big part of who I am as a person, and when it came time to choose a potential college senior year, I knew that I needed to find a school that could fit both my academic and athletic needs. However, the path I ultimately chose almost never occurred.

While in high school, I struggled with my relationship with swimming. There were moments that were unforgettable, like making states my sophomore year in four separate events, and the bond I built with the different girls on my team. But come my senior year, they were quickly overlooked by many negatives. My breaking point as an athlete followed a rotator cuff injury. A week away from the pool made me weigh out the positives and negatives that surrounded being a part of that particular team. Ultimately, it led me to make a decision along with my parents to take a step back from swimming and pursue other activities. 

Not a moment went by during my break from swimming that I didn’t regret my decision. It felt unnatural to be away from the sport, so as the time approached to start applying for colleges, I began to search for programs in Connecticut. 

While searching, I stumbled upon Eastern, and to be completely honest, I had heard very little about it prior. My knowledge of the university solely surrounded my older cousin's attendance. He seemed to enjoy the university and had a pretty good review of their campus life. I trusted his opinion enough to start reaching out to the coach of the swim program, hoping that I could gain better insight into the program.

From that moment forward, I was sold on going to Eastern. After hearing from Coach Gluz and taking two trips up to campus to meet the team and watch a meet. Eastern quickly became my home away from home, and a decision that I have never regretted. The swim program here, run by head coach Sarit Gluz, has been my foundation and helped to pave the way for the person I am now. 

As my time at Eastern comes to an end, I have begun to reflect on all the moments that have made it worth it. From winning twice at our conference championships to a trip to Puerto Rico to train. I have no regrets; I would choose Eastern every time. I stress to seniors in high school who are scared about the next step in life, enjoy the time you have because in a second it’s all over.