Latest Publication

Spring 2024 Magazine - Endurance

Before I came to UConn, I wasn’t particularly interested in sports. I didn’t grow up watching sports or rooting for a home team. But after attending countless games here — basketball, ice hockey, and baseball — I started to feel like UConn was my team. I found myself invested in the outcome of games and player injuries. I surprised myself with how much UConn gear I had suddenly accumulated, and how often I was representing my teams in the stands.

As my third year comes to an end, I’ve learned that spring semester at UConn means only one thing: basketball. People skip classes and sacrifice their sleep to camp out all night in front of Gampel Pavilion before a game — it’s the Basketball Capital of the World. Although our beloved basketball teams get all the hype, they are not the only talented athletes at our school. From the 19 other D1 sports, to club and recreational teams, gifted athletes are practicing all over our campus. This edition spans beyond Gampel, from Elliot Ballpark to Wolff-Zackin Natatorium and Toscano Ice Rink, and even to the hidden corners behind Horsebarn Hill, the Hawley Armory, and commuter Lot C.

Endurance has two meanings in the context of athletics. First, the more obvious definition is the ability for athletes to remain active for extended periods of time. All of the student athletes in this issue are dedicated to and passionate about their sport. In spite of their club status, the taekwondoin and woodsmen practice three times a week, sparring and chainsawing respectively. Secondly, endurance applies to athletes working through hardships and challenges. We interviewed two international athletes who left their home countries to compete at UConn, a baseball player who took a year off to get stronger, and a student club field hockey coach who revealed the shocking end to her career on the field.

I had the pleasure of meeting most of the athletes we covered in this issue. Some are broadcast on national television and others, just as talented, compete behind the scenes. All of these athletes deserve recognition for their tenacity and strength. I proudly represent my school, and these athletes, by wearing my UConn gear and cheering in the stands.

Josie Simon