You know those NCAA commercials that have run the past few years during the NCAA basketball tournaments? You know the ones that say “there are thousands of NCAA student-athletes, and most of us are going pro in something other than sports”? I think they are kind of annoying and corny and distract from the games themselves, but, ultimately, they are true. Most athletes, no matter how disturbingly young they are when they start playing their sport, end their careers at around twenty-two years old, as seniors in college. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Division III athletics, at a school like Wesleyan.

Look at our two year old Athletics Hall of Fame in the Freeman Athletic Center and you will see a handful of incredibly gifted Wesletes that have had success at the next level of competition. But it’s only a handful. Look around those seniors who’ve spent four years on teams here and you’ll see a group of people that, by and large, leave the locker room, court, and field behind when they dawn the cap and gown on May 24th. It’s a mixed bag of emotions that now clutters the minds of athletes from ’09. Imagine seeing that commitment, that effort, and such a distinct identity whittled down to a line on a resume or a scar on a knee.  

A graduating friend of mine recently told me that he wished he had another year to reach his potential. He felt he had developed to a point during his four years that, given a fifth, he would max out on his potential. This must be a shared feeling among seniors, especially those that didn’t beat that rival, claim that championship, or break that record. The human body generally reaches its athletic prime between the ages of 25-27 depending on the sport. Given an extra year, or two, many of our athletes might achieve an entirely new level of success. Another senior athlete seemed more content saying that he thought his sport had used him and he’d used his sport. I found this a poignant reflection. He had put in his time and effort and reaped his reward and that was enough from him to move on. 

With the professional ranks out of reach and eligibility rules in place, most of our athletes here at Wesleyan have to wrap their hearts and minds around leaving competition before they want to. They might not be the upper-echelon performers who hear their names called during professional drafts, but that doesn’t negate the effort and success all of our dedicated senior athletes have put in and achieved during their careers. 

I’ve played varsity lacrosse, club rugby and intramural basketball during my time at Wes and so have seen our entire athletic spectrum. And I can confidently say that the senior student-athletes that walk away from sports this May are as hungry to win and hungry to compete as any I’ve ever seen on TV. So maybe we must accept the NCAA’s message and “go professional in something other than sports” but there’s not one graduating athlete who wouldn’t chew through concrete to take down Middlebury once more—and that’s all that matters.