Paying It Forward: Advice For Future Student-Athletes

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second installment of a season-long series through the eyes of Evan Hilbert, who is a senior communications major at the University of Buffalo.

I’ve been a student-athlete for four years now. I’ve logged countless miles, eaten thousands of calories, and slept more than the average koala bear. 

As my time at the University at Buffalo has flown by, I can say that I’ve picked up some great skills along the way. Running has given me life-valuable lessons that can’t be taught-but rather experienced. 

To help those who come after me, I want to share my experiences with others in an attempt to better inform the next generation of collegiate runners. 

This summer was supposed to be my year to finally truly buy into the mileage. I was hoping to finally convince myself to get out of bed for doubles, and go that extra mile each day to create a larger base of fitness.

However, I always felt my clock was ticking faster than my body could take. I’ve grown accustomed to lower mileage and feeling fresh, so this was going to be a challenge for me.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. I felt like I was constantly playing catch up; trying to make up for lost time and lost miles. 

So when it was time for the rest of my team to start back on workouts, I felt flat. A small twenty minute tempo made my heart rate spike to 211 bpm. Safe to say, I wasn’t ready. 

So I took a step backwards, and that’s okay. 

I’ve learned from my years competing that rushing yourself will never end well. Listening to your body is the number one way to promote longevity with such a demanding sport. It’s taxing on the mind and body, so ensuring that you’re feeling like yourself is a must.

No one knows your body better than yourself. 

Over the last several weeks I’ve been working back from an injury that set me back another couple weeks, in addition to my already tardy fitness. While working on my rehab, I realized the vast depth of help I have surrounding me. Our school’s athletic training staff, the facilities and our nutrition room are all available to me. It’s important to take full advantage of the facilities given to you. If you’re as lucky as I am, I’m sure they’d be happy to help in any situation. 

This brings me to my final piece of advice – and that is to talk. Talk to your coaches, talk to your teams, form bonds and connections with the people around you. These are the types of friendships that will last a lifetime. 

You only have a finite amount of time in the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA – or wherever you’re competing –  but the friendships and memories you make will forever live in your heart. 

“It’s gonna fly by,” is something you’re going to hear time and time again. And it won’t hit you until you show up for practice as a senior longing for the days of freshman year. 

Live in the moment. you’ll only be a student-athlete for so long.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Evan Hilbert is a senior communications major at the University at Buffalo. He is a member of the cross country and track & field teams at UB and recently made his season debut at the Yellowjacket XC Invitational where he finished 18th in 26:04.6.

Hilbert co-hosts a podcast called “Take Talks” with a fellow journalism friend.

You can also find Evan on Instagram: evan_hilbert.