Starting a new school is tough. Moving away from your family and being on a sports team adds to the pressure of fitting in. Freshman athletes have been on campus as long as two months practicing, training and conditioning.
Now that school is in session the athletes add one more task: They have to study. “It is a big adjustment coming from high school to college athletics,” said Barbie Breedlove, assistant athletic director. “The students have to learn how to use their down-time wisely.”
The athletic department has a variety of resources for athletes to use. “The Humphrey’s Center, here in the [Mini-] Dome, is a great place for them to do their work. They just swipe their card and enter,” Breedlove said. Other sources are trainers, tutors and assistant coaches.
Freshman athletes have another adjustment to make if they are from out-of-state. “They have to learn that mom is not there to wake them up for class,” Breedlove said. “Their comfort zone is gone and the structure of a high school day is not here anymore.”
Freshman and transfer students go through a six-week program called Buccaneer Basics, Breedlove said. “This program is for anyone who is new to ETSU. It is held on Wednesday nights to give extra help in adjusting to college life,” she said.
Looking out for the freshmen is easier when they are paired with a mentor of some kind. “The soccer team pairs seniors with the freshmen in the dorms. The men’s basketball team has four players assigned to one of the three assistant coaches,” Breedlove said.
Soccer goalkeeper Megan Masch, from Virginia Beach, Va., started the year with an injury – three torn ligaments in her knee. “I leave my room at 7 a.m. and I don’t return until 7 p.m. I just sleep in my room, it seems like,” she said.
Her typical day starts at 7:30 in the training room, then she has classes from 8:15 to 1:30 or 2 p.m. She then goes to the weight room or swims in the CPA for therapy. Afterward, she studies in the Humphrey’s Center.
Traveling to different schools is also part of being an athlete. When teams travel players take their books and laptop computers with them to do their work in hotel rooms. “We have only had one road game, but we had a study hall we had to go to. With Internet connections in the rooms it made it easy to do our work,” Masch said.
Kristan Provchy, of Norton, Ohio, plays volleyball. “The team has really helped me adjust and get to know more people. Being from out of state, I didn’t know anyone. Now I know a lot more people thanks to my teammates,” she said.
Coming from a high school with high expectations, Provchy said practices were more intense there than at ETSU. “Our high school was a very competitive school. It was a little overwhelming coming here, but I have definitely settled in now,” she said.
Another out-of-state athlete is Mike Smith, of Vandalia Mo., who plays basketball. He has been here since July. “It’s a tough adjustment being 10 hours away from home, but you have to grow up quick,” he said. Overwhelmed at first, Smith said he adjusted and got to know where things are on campus.
“I had no idea where some of my classes were on the first day,” he said.
His typical day starts bright and early at 6:30 with weights, followed by breakfast with the team and class. Then, depending on what day it is, there will be weights and practice, practice and a game, or conditioning and a game.
College basketball is a little tougher for Smith. “Coming from a small school, I found out that everyone is quicker and the whole game is quicker,” he said.
As the season goes on, traveling will have more of an effect on the athletes and their schoolwork. “Right now I am doing okay. We’ll see later when the season starts,” Smith said.

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