Inside the life of a varsity athlete
May 10, 2018
By ALYSSA SCHROEKENTHALER
The Mirror reporter
Varsity athletes are on varsity teams for a reason. Hard-work and determination are two of many factors that drive these individuals to success.
I sat down and chatted with Maddie Schneider, a junior who holds positions on the varsity team for cross country and track. I asked her some questions to get the scoop on her daily life, as well as input about her feelings on running.
How long have you been running?
Schneider: “I’ve been running since about fifth grade, around the time we would practice for the track meet in elementary school.”
What got you into running and what do you love about it?
Schneider: “The track meet got me interested. We would have Running Club every day, so I started running a lot and really enjoyed it. I like that it’s a fun team atmosphere with cross country. Running is also just really therapeutic for me.”
What is your favorite distance for cross country?
Schneider: “I like running three or four miles, but all of our races are the same distance. They are 5Ks.”
What is your favorite event in track?
Schneider: “My favorite is the 4×800 relay. The 800 is a fun distance for me and it’s also fun to be in a relay.”
On a typical day, what do you eat? Do you have any specific diet? What do your meals look like on meet days?
Schneider: “I eat breakfast first, usually just cereal, but on race days I’ll eat a bagel, some eggs and a banana. During the day, I eat a granola bar either second or third hour. For lunch, I usually eat a sandwich or a wrap with some fruits and vegetables and sometimes a yogurt parfait. And then dinner, I just eat whatever we have that night.”
Do you do anything during offseason to train?
Schneider: “In the summer we have a group called Summer Running. We meet every morning and go for a run, so it’s really good training for cross country. During the winter, I run when I can. If I can’t, then I do either swimming or biking.”
Being a varsity athlete, that must come with a lot of pressure. Do you ever get nervous for meets? If so, how do you cope with those nerves?
Schneider: “I used to get really nervous before meets, but I think that I’ve done so many now, that I’m not as worried about it. I just think about the big picture and how if you have a bad race, there’s always a next one and it’s not what defines you. When you don’t do as well as you want to, you can still move on.”
Any tricks or habits you follow that help you?
Schneider: “I always try to push myself as much as I can. At practice, I’m always doing that extra little bit and I always do a lot of hip exercises to prevent injury.”
What advice can you give people when it comes to being in varsity sports?
Schneider: “I’d say, not to take it for granted and try to enjoy it. If you’re not enjoying a sport, then it’s probably not really a great thing to be doing. Always work really hard, but if you don’t have the success, then don’t worry too much about it.”
Do you see yourself continuing to run for college? How about the rest of your life? Schneider: “I don’t know about college yet. It depends on what school I go to. Also, I’ve been injured a lot, so I don’t know if I’m going to keep doing it. I definitely will keep running, like doing fun runs because I really enjoy it.”
Evan Thomas • Sep 4, 2018 at 10:47 AM
This was a nice article. I can relate to what Maddie does because I am also an athlete.
Alina Burmistrova • May 11, 2018 at 1:24 PM
Running is not for good health only but for soul and for personal satisfaction 😀 I have read really laaaaarge interview. You, Alyssa, did very good work, my respect! You asked her a lot of questions. And I enjoyed reading, to be honest.
Manuel Lupercio • May 11, 2018 at 12:59 PM
This was a very interesting article to read and was very insightful. The things athletes do is very interesting as they have to stay in shape so everyone has their own routines and its fun to see inside some other peoples daily lives.
Kara • May 11, 2018 at 12:47 PM
This was an awesome story! You really helped readers get a little look inside their life! You asked great questions and it was nice to read what she had to say about each!
Dylan Konicek • May 11, 2018 at 12:46 PM
I really enjoyed the little twist you had with a Q&A type writing style, it really kept me engaged in the article. Great job!
Dylan Trigg • May 11, 2018 at 12:45 PM
I liked how you went into depth about what she does to prepare and everything she does for the sport.
Tony Ludwig • May 11, 2018 at 12:45 PM
I enjoyed seeing how others prepare for their respective sport. Nice article!
Hannah Gibbons • May 11, 2018 at 12:43 PM
I really enjoyed reading this article, and I’m glad some varsity athletes still have their dignity. Unlike some I know, who get everything because their the coaches favorite. It’s refreshing to see how hard an individual has worked for something she’s loved almost all her life. Great piece.
Will Carroll • May 11, 2018 at 12:41 PM
It was pretty cool to get an inside look at how an athlete prepares and operates with their sports, well done
Hannah Siegel • May 11, 2018 at 12:30 PM
This was a cool article, it was cool to see what Maddie does to prepare and how her day is.
Kacey Koch • May 11, 2018 at 12:27 PM
I really liked reading an article that was written differently. I never really lost interest while reading this because it was a question and answer and I always enjoy reading those!