A day in the life of ...
When it comes to the student-athlete experience on the Hill, few know it as intimately as Kristin Ramey ’05, M.S. ’08, who played both lacrosse and field hockey for the Green Terror while pursuing her degree in Exercise Science and Physical Education. She was the recipient of McDaniel’s Women’s Athletic Alumnae Award for the most outstanding senior athlete as a four-year member of the Green Terror field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams, was twice named to the Centennial Conference first team in lacrosse, and earned third-team All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse following her senior campaign.
Now chair of the Green & Gold Committee of the Alumni Council, her experience as a student-athlete stays with her. She aspires to provide her players with the support they need to succeed in college and after graduation. But she doesn’t discount what she gets out of the experience either: “As much as I teach my players, they teach me something new each year as well!”
How I prepare for the day ahead: Morning coffee is always a must! When in season, we have later evenings and nights with practice, so I usually try to sleep in a little later, if possible. Over coffee, I pack one of many bags to make sure I have everything for the day, including layers for practice that evening or to grab a quick workout around lunch.
First thing I do when I get to campus: Review the to-do list I wrote myself the night before. Second thing is to meet briefly with my staff to check in on our projects for the day, talk about recruits, plan the day (or week), and draft a practice plan for that afternoon. We try to post practice for the team between noon and 1 p.m. each day.
On a non-game day … I do a lot of film review, assemble the scout on our next opponent, and plan practice. On any given day, we may have several individual meetings or on-field one-on-one work as well. Three hours are carved out for practice each day, and we usually try to be the first on and last off the field so we are accessible to the players pre- and post-practice. When we are not in season, we are recruiting, recruiting, recruiting! This consists of traveling to tournaments, clinics, and high school games to evaluate prospective student-athletes. Then we follow up by making several contacts via email, calls, and texts, and ultimately turning that conversation to in person when we host them at McDaniel for campus visits.
But on game days … Our goal by game day is to have everything done so it is a lighter morning/afternoon for the coaching staff. If we are competing at home, we try to get a staff game day coffee; Dunkin’ is a favorite! If our game is away, we could spend several hours on a bus to and from the host site. On these days, we double-check the food, snacks, and dinner orders for the team. Prior to meeting the team, the staff will go through the scouting report and our coaching notes, but not without playing a little hype music in the office! The team is usually playing their own hype music in the locker room prior to meeting them for our pre-game chat.
Post-game traditions: Win or lose after a home game, tailgating with our families on the Hill is a must! Members of our student-athlete parent group are our biggest fans and supporters of our program. They keep us well-fed with potluck dishes, snacks, and drinks at home, or a quick grab-and-go on the road.
After a loss, we try to reflect on any mental or physical missteps so we can address them quickly, and refresh for the next practice in preparation for our next opponent. After a big win, we celebrate with each other in the team room, as well as a “win the day” treat the next day at practice!
Why athletics is so important to me that I made it my career: What I love the most about the collegiate coaching profession is my relationships with the players. I get to interact with them on and off the field and help guide them to their fullest potential in leadership and collegiate life. We are a part of their growth in character, and academic maturity.
On a more personal note, the camaraderie, assistance, and encouragement within the athletic department here is remarkable! Many of my best friends are colleagues within the profession. Furthermore, I cannot do what I do without my friends’ and family’s unwavering support!
What do you want student-athletes at McDaniel to know about the intersection between physical wellness, social wellness, and emotional wellness? Personally, I think being a competitive student-athlete while living on a college campus is the most advantageous environment to learn what personal wellness means, and how to balance their physical, social, and emotional wellness — because they will absolutely continue to intersect for the rest of their lives.
While college life is difficult to navigate for young adults at times, it is also an enlightening and fulfilling chapter of their lives. A student-athlete will discover a lot about themselves while being at a distance from their parents, family, and hometown that they wouldn’t normally learn otherwise. For example, how to communicate, think independently, act passionately, form relationships, overcome adversity, be accountable, and how to handle successes, just to name a few.
As head coaches, we understand that our student-athletes may need help with balancing their physical, social, and emotional wellness. Therefore, we constantly remind and encourage our athletes to look out for each other, support one another, but more importantly, utilize the resources afforded them here on campus — such as their coach and staff members, the administration, sports medicine staff, the Wellness Center, Campus Safety, and their professors. The athletes here at McDaniel also have free access to an app called Headspace, which is the most science-backed app for mindfulness and meditation.
When our student-athletes graduate, become young professionals, start to have families of their own, and then later are established in their careers, we are confident they will utilize the tools and skills learned within college athletics to continuously recognize and prioritize these very important dimensions of health and well-being.