By David Goldman, Sports Editor
With 24 varsity sports at Gettysburg College, a large percentage of the student body represents the Bullets on the field, court, and in the pool. Students at Gettysburg represent their respective teams with pride and put in a lot of work in their competitive efforts. However, as the term alludes to, student-athletes are students first, so they must balance their academics with their athletic commitments. Here is what a day in the life looks like for these five student-athletes:
Charlie Cross ’24 – Swimming
A typical Monday for Cross starts off with a breakfast at Servo to give him energy for the day. From there, he heads to his 10 am class and then works as a lifeguard at the pool from 11-1. Cross then manages to enjoy some free time from 1-4, where he usually gets some of his homework done and gets some rest with an afternoon nap. From there, it is time to head back to the pool for a team practice. Practice runs from 4-6 and then the team heads over to the weight room for some strength training. After a good workout, Cross and the team head to Servo for dinner. From dinner, Cross goes over to the library to get some more work done before he calls it a night.
Although the daily grind of being a student-athlete is often tiring, Cross believes that his experience is very rewarding. He commented that his favorite part of being a student-athlete at Gettysburg is “having a strong support group of friends and coaches.”
Callie Pidoriano ’24 – Volleyball
A day in the life of Pidoriano first consists of a morning coffee and snack. After that, she’ll go to her first class of the day and then go somewhere on campus to do some homework before grabbing a bite to eat with teammates. Pidoriano then goes to her second class of the day and from there, will go straight to the locker room before practice. She is able to get some work done in the locker room or sometimes just spends quality time with her teammates until practice begins. The whole team then goes to dinner and afterwards, Pidoriano heads back to her house and finishes up some work before she heads to bed.
Leo Sattamini ’24 – Football
Sattamini starts his day off bright and early at 5:30 a.m. He goes to a team meeting at 6:15 and then begins his practice at around 7:45. Practice will typically go until 9:30 depending on the day and after, he’ll get some food and a much needed coffee from Bullet Hole. After that, Sattamini goes to his first class of the day at 10 and then heads back to his apartment to get some rest before his next class at 1:10. When class is done for the day, Sattamini will do some homework or just hang out until dinner time at 5:30, and when dinner is done, he will relax and try to go to bed early for another full day.
Sattamini admits that it is challenging to focus on school and sports simultaneously, but that it is still very rewarding. “It’s a lot to balance with my football responsibilities and school, and I do have a hard time staying on top of things, but I can’t imagine my life without sports.”
He also says that the best part about being a student-athlete is the competition and community on the team. “I’m very competitive and very social, so I love competing every week with my friends,” says Sattamini.
Zoe Want ’25 – Soccer
For Want, her day begins with a team lift at 9 a.m. After her lift, she goes to her first class of the day at 10 and the second at 11. Want takes a lunch break and then heads back to her apartment to grab anything she may need for practice. She then heads to her third and final class of the day at 2. When class lets out at 3:30, it is time to get ready for practice. Want heads to the Jager center at 3:30 to grab her practice gear from the equipment room and then goes out to Clark Field to begin practice with her team. Practices at the beginning of the week tend to be more intense and usually consist of small-sided games and drills. Want and her team then head to Servo for their daily dinner together that they do everyday during the week. She then ends her night with a library homework session, or goes back to her apartment to plan out the rest of her week.
Chase Morgan ’24 – Lacrosse
Similar to Sattamini, Morgan starts off the day early in the morning with a 5:45 a.m. wakeup to prepare for a 6:30 team lift. Him and the squad recover with a breakfast meal at Servo and then Morgan heads back to his apartment to get ready for his classes. Morgan’s first class begins at 10 and heads straight to the training room after class. Here he completes physical therapy for his foot which takes approximately one hour. Around 12:15, it is time for lunch and Morgan heads to the Bullet Hole with his teammates. He then heads to his next class of the day, and after that ends, he prepares for practice. Lacrosse practice begins at 4:10 and runs until about 6:30. Him and his teammates clean up the field after practice and count the lacrosse balls to see if they need more for the next day. Morgan is unfortunately injured and so he is unable to participate in practice, but still puts in the work afterwards with a cardio workout on the bike. He then heads over to Servo for dinner with the team, goes back to his apartment, and finishes up work before he goes to bed at around 9:30.
Morgan says that the best part about being a student-athlete are the life-long friends he has been able to make and spend a lot of his time with.
Student-athletes are very busy, but that does not mean they don’t love competing as a Bullet. It takes a lot of discipline and sacrifice to be a collegiate student-athlete. These athletes highlight what it truly takes to put their best foot forward both in the classroom and while competing in their respective sports.
This article originally appeared on pages 18 to 19 of the No. 2 October 2023 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
