More Than Just Lacrosse: A Freshman’s Perspective at Muskingum

Students on Muskingum University campus / Stock Photo from Muskingum University

By Brady Patterson

I had no idea what to expect walking onto the field on that first day as a freshman at Muskingum: new teammates, a new school, and a whole new level of lacrosse. I quickly came to realize that being a student-athlete here is about more than just playing the game.

My name is Brady Patterson, and I am a freshman lacrosse player here at Muskingum University studying secondary education. I chose Muskingum for the lacrosse culture/brotherhood, the academics, and the campus life. Through my experiences so far, I can genuinely say that you are challenged as a Student-Athlete here at Muskingum.

Academics and Balance

There is a reason “Student” comes before “Athlete” in the title Student-Athlete. Classes are of utmost importance on the Lacrosse team. Whether you have a 19- credit-hour semester or a 13-credit-hour semester, attending your classes and turning in your work are top priorities.

With 6:00 am practices and 3:30 pm lifts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it can be challenging to balance everything. When asked about how to balance academics and practices during the busiest parts of the season, Senior Captain Richard “Chipper” Iacobucci said, “Lay everything out. Plan out every day. Schedule your days in one-hour increments.”

Using his advice, I have been able to stay on top of my academics, which allows me to be completely locked in and compete on the field.

Athletics and the Lacrosse Experience

Since the first day I moved in and had some light practice with a few of the guys till now, having morning practices and afternoon lifts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I have learned and grown so much. As of right now, we are in pre-season, working as hard as we can day in and day out.

Every day, we are presented with challenges to improve so that we can become the best team and be ready to compete in the spring. When I asked Chipper what his favorite experience is here at Muskingum, he said, “Every day is my favorite. Having the opportunity to wake up every day, lead this team, and watch everyone grow is truly special.” Personally, every day has been a dream come true for me, getting to play the sport that I love and getting to bond with the guys.

Campus Life and Community

Living on Campus here at Muskingum has been an experience so far. I had to adjust to the smaller shared dorms and the shared bathrooms, but aside from those two things, I have been having a great time. With the help of my lacrosse brothers, they have been showing me the ways and teaching me all about how we do things here at Muskingum.

Our lacrosse team culture is different from other teams because of “how close and connected we are and our openness and brotherhood,” said Chipper. I have grown so close to all the guys already, and I have only been here for 5 weeks. Our brotherhood and culture are invaluable to me and have been beneficial in my complete devotion to this school and program.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend this school and play for this program. My most favorable part so far has been the absolute Grind my teammates and I have been on. We have been putting in our maximum effort and stacking days in everything we do. This has really made the transition to college smooth, and I couldn’t ask for a better team to help with this transition.

My closing remarks to students interested in becoming student-athletes and/or anyone interested in playing lacrosse here at Muskingum would be to work hard and not quit. It can get hard and rough, but that is all a part of the journey. Being on the lacrosse team here at Muskingum to me means giving everything you've got when you have nothing to give.