"It is so interesting to me how day-to-day events can seem so simple, but looking back at the compilation of events that led to a destination gives each event a much higher level of importantce. That is how it turned out for me."
By Jarrel Bobb '16, Lafayette Track and Field
The Finish Line
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|  The Finish Line, a special section of The Real Deal, is a series of first-person stories written by senior student-athletes, reflecting on their Lafayette experience prior to Saturday's 181st Commencement. |
Now in May of my senior year, I find myself looking back on the many events and experiences that have led to this very moment.
In the midst of the chaos surrounding the close of this four-year endeavor, I still feel an emptiness to express my gratitude.
How could I do it justice?
How could I possibly encapsulate my Lafayette College experience, given all that has transpired?
Well, it may not be perfect, but the best way to review my four years as a Leopard is simply to provide some context.
My life as a Leopard would not have been possible had it not been for my high school coaches and the series of fortunate circumstances. Events that as they were happening seemed trivial.
I had played soccer as long as I could remember, and had been interested in not much else. This was the case until my friends and I decided to pick up a winter sport to stay in shape for the spring season. Interestingly enough, basketball grew on me and I played from eighth grade through my senior year in high school.
I had never intended on making basketball a yearly endeavor, but it was a necessary step along the path of getting me where I am today. As my sophomore season progressed, my coach had a conversation with me that would alter the trajectory of my athletic and academic career.
Coach Kennedy, my basketball coach, was going to become the track and field coach for the spring season, and he encouraged me to try out the sport. I remember joking with him, because it sounded like he was telling me that I was only a decent basketball player through my ability to run and jump, not because of having any actual basketball skills.
With a great deal of resistance I decided to give the sport a try.
Fast forward six years and I sit here as part of the Lafayette track and field team with the season coming to a rapid close. All the sports that I have competed in, along with all of my teammates, have greatly impacted my development.
I have always believed that things happen for a reason, and looking back it is easy to see that my three high school coaches were integral in molding me into the person I am today. I would regret if I did not express how grateful I am for their support. I thank Coach Buksa, Coach Kennedy and Coach Krupski for together, in their own separate ways, teaching me to be a competitor with respect and passion. Their coaching styles and mentorship are second to none and they do not receive enough credit for all that they do. Without these three men, my successes and how I handled obstacles would have been severely different.
To My Coaches: Throughout my time here, they have always been supportive. They have pushed me to and past the temporary limits, always striving to help me reach my fullest potential.
Coach Ayala, Coach Jen, Coach Piazza, Coach Curcio, and Coach Brown: there is no way that I could repay what you have given to me. Through your expertise and your unwavering confidence in my ability, I am blessed to be able to have had the opportunity to learn and grow under your direction. It has made my entire Lafayette College career much more enjoyable knowing that I could always look to you for advice or for laughs when I needed them the most.
To my Family: You are the best support system that anyone can ask for.
You have travelled tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands of miles without hesitation to support me at every event that I attended. Whether or not I was competing, you were always there to support my teammates.
In the worst of times, you have been there to motivate me and evoke positivity. In the best of times, you were there to celebrate with me.
Now, I have the opportunity to celebrate my family for making my goals a part of their goals. I am forever grateful for all that you have done and continue to do for me. I want you all to know that I competed with a sense of pride because I knew that I was not just competing for myself, but rather had the responsibility and privilege of competing for our family together.
More...
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For more first-person accounts from Lafayette student-athletes, check out the Finish Line stories in The Real Deal. For continued graduation coverage leading up to Saturday's Commencement, visit the Commencement home page. |
My career at Lafayette, both academically and athletically, has been nothing short of amazing. Since setting foot on this campus, I have been challenged and molded each and every day.
Now, this may be a bit unorthodox, but I feel the need to give thanks to the sport of track and field.
Track and field has taught me how to be my best self. It is a sport that has trained me to approach all aspects of life with tenacity, finesse and an attention to detail.
The long days and the seemingly impossible workouts have equipped me with the ability to live in the moment and continue to persist in the face of obstacles. I have noticed that I now approach life as if I will run through the finish line and not just to it. The failures and hardships have instilled appreciation for the smaller things in life, while the triumphs always come with humility.
Track and field has enhanced my ability to be patient and to have faith in a process that will lead to amazing success. I thank the sport for bringing amazing people into my life from different backgrounds, all of whom played roles showing me different perspectives.
I am grateful that a series of chance events led to this sport, because I cannot imagine a life without the valuable lessons learned. The track is a battleground, a home and a venue that will always have a special place in my life.
To be completely honest, running is not the most fun thing to do, but there is something very powerful about the battle that goes on within yourself when you are at the brink of exhaustion.
When you must continue to push on when your body is telling you to stop. That's the moment when a new world of opportunity presents itself. That's what makes it all worth it.
In my final days here, I find myself trying to accurately sum up my career at Lafayette College. In doing so, I think I have realized the perfect way to do so.
As a senior in high school I remember wanting to accomplish one thing at Lafayette.
I simply wanted to be a great Leopard.
I hope that when people think about my career here, they can be confident in saying that I have fulfilled my goal.
I know now that my career at Lafayette as a student-athlete is coming to an end, but that does not mean that my career at Lafayette is over. In fact, it is just transitioning into a new role. This is the only way I know how to give back to an institution that has given so much to me.
So this is not the end of my journey, but rather just a chapter in an unfinished story.
