By Emily Crowder and Alexandra Ko

Menlo has been consistently sending students off to continue their athletic careers in college. The Coat of Arms caught up with alumni who participate or have participated in a variety of intercollegiate sports, with every athlete having a different perspective on life after Menlo in the world of athletics.

Menlo alum of the class of 2012, Justin Chan is a member of the division one Dartmouth College tennis team. Having been a part of the successful tennis program at Menlo, Chan decided to continue on to play at a higher level. He enjoys the experience of playing on the Dartmouth team because the pressure to be recruited is no longer present. “During high school, and throughout my entire life, I had to play individual tournaments in order to get recruited,” Chan said. After he passed this obstacle, the sport and the competition became more enjoyable. Apart from this advantage, Chan also appreciates the strong team dynamic and the opportunity to be a part of it. “I love the guys on my team […] After school, I practice with the team, then go to dinner with the team, then do homework in the library,” Chan said.

However, he concedes that the difficulty of balancing academics and athletics has not always been easy. As a freshman, he took a light class load during the first term in order to transition into the school and find a healthy balance between school and tennis. However, he quickly found the formerly-attractive idea of taking an easy term to be not as beneficial as it initially seemed. “Despite my “easy” first term classes, I still struggled with finding time to study, let alone trying to go out during the weekends,” Chan said. Finding a social life in college with all of the traveling required throughout the season was difficult for Chan, and soon the season’s pressures began to take their toll on his ability to meet new people. “Playing a varsity sport definitely affects my social life because I am constantly traveling for tournaments during weekends and practicing after school, so I don’t have much time at all to meet new people and go out,” Chan said. Nonetheless, Chan is thoroughly enjoying his experiences at Dartmouth. Although he is unsure as to whether or not he wishes to pursue the sport after graduation, he remains open to the idea.

Menlo alumni Richard Harris, class of 2012, is a member of the division three basketball team at Claremont McKenna College. “Being a part of a team is like being in a fraternity. Everyone cares about each other and looks out for one another,” Harris said. The balance between athletics and academics has not been difficult because of the amount of free time in college. “I’m barely in class and therefore have a bunch of time to do school work and play basketball,” Harris said. However, social life has proved to be more of a challenge. “Sometimes I feel like basketball has limited my social life in that the majority of my friends (the kids on the team) were decided for me before I got to school. As much as I try to expand my group, I’m spending so much time with the kids on my team that they end up being my best friends,” Harris said. As far as the future is concerned, Harris knows that he will continue to play basketball, professionally or not.

Menlo graduate Danny Diekroeger, class of 2010, was recruited to Stanford University to play division one baseball. Although his experiences have been positive, he admits that balancing athletics and academics has not always come easily. “It’s tough at times, but it just takes some organization. Menlo really prepared me for college in terms of balancing school with sports. I always try to keep my priorities in order and not get caught up in things that are lower down on my list. I think this approach is really helpful,” Diekroeger said. Keeping his priorities straight has proved vital to Diekroeger, whose goal is to play professionally. At times, this balancing act forces him to put social life on the back burner. “[Playing baseball] has definitely affected my social life, but not in a bad way. I don’t have the same free time that other students have, but […] I still have plenty of time to hang out with my close friends and still be well-rested for school and baseball,” Diekroeger said.

Natalie Williford, class of 2010, was a part of the Davidson College division one lacrosse team but resigned after two years of playing. Despite Williford’s decision to quit, her team continues to stand by her. “Even when I stopped playing, each and every one of my teammates remained my best friends at school by far. In fact to this day I still feel like a part of the team and that is how everyone treats me,” Williford said. She views her team as her family and places emphasis on the close knit group that they are. As she reflects on the team, she notes the importance having a strong support system in college. “All of the struggles and sacrifices that you make don’t matter anymore because you realize that they are all in honor of people you truly love,” Williford said. Like Diekroeger, Williford did not experience difficulty in balancing academics and athletics, so long as she maintained organization. “I knew that I only had [a certain amount of time] in the day where I could get my studying done […] I always had everything planned out and even done in advance a lot,” Williford said. As to her involvement with lacrosse after she graduates, she said, “[I] might play for a adult club team sometime when I’m living in one place for long enough.”

Regardless of how and to what extent these athletes continue their respective sports post-college, be it intramurally or professionally, they have all thoroughly enjoyed the time they have spent on their teams. Their dedication and time commitment may have hindered some aspect of their social life from time to time, but has had unforeseen benefits, including increased abilities to manage time and a prioritize the activities they enjoy most.