Summer is not for slackers
As soon as most students finish their last final, they are out of here.
Some students stick around for summer classes, but the campus looks scarce compared to the regular school year. You get an easygoing feeling while you are walking through campus.
Nobody would probably ever think to check what time the baseball game is, considering that because school is out, sports teams must also be done for the season. That is not the case for Eastern’s baseball team.
When the members of the team were done with their last finals, they still had practice. In fact, the baseball team just made it to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
There are also a few members of the track team still around waiting for the NCAA Mideast Regionals.
It must be a little weird still playing a sport when school is out. Here you go from a daily routine of class, weights, practice and games, to just – well, practice and games. I’m sure some athletes are taking some summer courses, but not to the extent of a full load of classes.
It’s hard not to have an easygoing attitude with an atmosphere like this.
It also might be hard to get pumped for a game when not too many people show up to watch you play.
The downfall is that all of these great things are happening, and a lot of people don’t know about any of them. It’s like you did this amazing thing and you want to share it with everybody – but not everybody is around.
It’s kind of like you sit down, and it all sinks in. You might be thinking, “Now what?” However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that you are doing something amazing.
The baseball team just lost two games in a double-header by one point against Eastern Kentucky University, then came back the next day to beat the Colonels 20-7.
That is huge.
That one win got the team a berth in the OVC Tournament, and it finished the regular-season in fourth place. The Panthers are playing their best-ever right now and have a chance to finish high in the OVC Tournament.
And Kandace Arnold just qualified for regionals in the shot put at the Georgia Tech last-chance meet this past weekend.
She already made it in the discus. This proves that summer isn’t just for training and taking a break.
It means still being a competitor and working hard for yourself, and your team.
Molly Clutter can be reached at 581-7944 or at mkclutter@eiu.edu.