Reading 4 Why Play College Sport I am 5'9''. During my college orientation week, a serious looking woman went up to me, and without smiling, said, “ You ’ re tall. I need you. ” She handed me a flier, turned and walked away. Confused, I skimmed the flier and realized it was for crew try-outs. Growing up in Nebraska, a land-locked state, I was slightly puzzled. But I thought, why not. So I joined the team, and I immediately became fond of the sport and my team. Earlier this week, I got together with my old crew team during spring break training, but this time as a supportive member. Over lunch, I asked the team how college sports added to their overall college experience. Here ’ s what they said: You hear about the Freshman 15 and you ’ re probably already worrying about it. Taking part in college sports can be the effective way to prevent the infamous Freshman 15. Sophomore Sarah remarked, “ I was relatively concerned about the Freshman 15. It always sounded so difficult and needed a lot of physical effort. But once I joined the crew team, the term the Freshman 15 never crossed my mind again. ” You are exercising on a regular basis, plus you must eat right and get regular sleep to keep up with your training, which all together, are important things to prevent the Freshman 15. Senior basketball player Amanda said, “ With college sports, you have three schedules that rule your time: academic, athletic, and social. ” I will not lie to you, being on a college team is time consuming and at times stressful. You are balancing several schedules. But by having pre-determined plans, you seldom delay doing something that you ought to do, merely because you do not have extra time. College is all about making friends and meeting interesting people. Upon joining a college athletic team, you are immediately welcomed into a circle of friends. Cleo, 21, a college junior, explained, “ I cannot imagine college without my team. They challenge me on a daily basis, and they push me to be my best on and off the water. ” Having a built-in support and motivational system is also a definite plus of being a team member. Aside from a diploma, the one thing of value that I walked away from college with was the experience. As you will find out, college is all about new experiences. Cleo said it best with, “ Why not join a sport team. What ’ s the downside? ” So, are you ready to play a sport in college?