What I Miss Most: The Small Things
Soccer player finds the details make a difference
Taylor Steinke
In their own words, Colorado State student-athletes share what they miss as the coronavirus pandemic has put life on hold globally
Although the coronavirus has temporarily altered life in our country—it has also begun to remind us of what really matters in life. Our first week away from campus – to put it lightly -- was difficult. I have learned quickly that perhaps I have taken, what seemed like small details, for granted.
A week ago, online class seemed like a fun shift of normality—come to find out finance is a bit harder to learn online than I thought. This taught me that I should have been more grateful when finance kicked my butt in person—because at least this way I could easily ask questions and laugh about it with Emma Shinsky.
I miss being on such a structured schedule, having a mapped-out fitness plan ready for the week, and the resources to make it happen. Practice times always kept me accountable -- I took those for granted too. It’s a lot harder to get out and run on your own without the demands of a strict schedule. In addition to being on my own time at home, I am limited with resources given that my gym is closed. My neighbors have watched me front squat some innovative contraptions these past few days. I have had to get creative in coming up with self-motivating workout plans. For example, the harder I push myself in my workout, the deeper I can dive into my honey chicken lime enchiladas (thank you Crissy Ott for the recipe of a lifetime).
I miss practice. It becomes difficult to implement game speed into individual drills and create the same level of competition that I would get out of a real team practice. I miss the thrill of playing, the excitement of winning, the disappointment of losing and the challenge of contesting my talented teammates—not to mention our mischievous dancing and laughing at inside jokes.
The hardest part about not being on campus is not being with my team. Being away from them is like being away from my family.Taylor Steinke, Women's Soccer Player
Although there are many aspects that I miss about being on campus, they all represent a common theme that has created a magnified impact in my life: relationships. I have come to realize that I don’t miss the lecture halls, I miss my teammates in them who make classes more tolerable. I don’t miss waking up at 6 a.m. every day to perish during another team workout, I miss my teammates who believe in me and push through them alongside me. I don’t miss losing a small-sided tournament at practice, I miss the competitive atmosphere that makes me want to perform for my teammates.
The hardest part about not being on campus is not being with my team. Being away from them is like being away from my family. I am used to spending most hours of most days with them—whether it be practicing, going to class, getting lunch, studying or hanging out on the weekends. So, while I am thankful for FaceTime, texting and Snapchat, nothing beats being with them in person. I absolutely cannot wait until I can be with them again to make more memories, share more laughs and be each other’s source of encouragement.
While times like these have been difficult to manage, they have also taught me a lot about what matters the most. The ironic piece of this is that those same important bits of my life are the ones that I have recently caught myself taking for granted. They have become so normal to me that I forgot to stop and thank God for the people and resources that are in my life. I would not wish these circumstances on anyone, but maybe we can all make the most out of them by appreciating what we have more than sulking about the situation we’re in.