Jared Stutzman

ISU Sports Information

In the coming years, you are going to have some of the best experiences of your life. The people that you will meet, the places you will go and the things you will get to do are second to none. But to get to that point, there are a few things that you need to keep on doing.

1. Keep working hard every single day. There is no substitute for hard work. I know you’re tired. I know it’s hard to balance your schoolwork, your personal life, and I know it’s hard to deal with all the pressure from playing. We are all blessed with 24 hours each day. Do your best to make the most of it.
    
2. Always put people first. At the end of your college career, you will have played in well over 100 games. You will have had some really awesome “highs” and some really hard “lows” on the court. You’ll have some big wins over some great teams, and there will be some games you wish you could get back. There will be nights where you feel like you can’t miss, and other nights where it just doesn’t go your way. But at the end of the day, win or lose, those guys in your locker room will become like family to you. When you step off that court for the last time, you won’t remember every shot you made, or every game you won. But you will remember every teammate that you had and those special moments that you shared together.
    
3. Time goes SO fast. Cherish every moment. Every practice. Every weights session. Every seven a.m. conditioning that you will hate in the moment. Appreciate it all. It’s hard, but it is not only making you a better player, but it’s making you a better person. You will learn discipline, how to work hard, and how to be a good teammate.
    
4. The last thing is to let yourself have fun. The pressure you will feel is real. The pressure you put on yourself is real, and it does force you to stay focused and to keep your goals in mind. But with all of that said, just go out and have fun. People will talk, fans will yell at you, players on opposing teams will talk smack all game. At the end of the day, block out all the noise and go out and play for the family that supports you, the university that you represent, and for the love of the game.

I promise that if you do those four things, the game of basketball will bless you with some of the best years of your life. You’ll be able to look back with no regrets, and you will feel incredibly grateful for the time that you got to spend as a Division I athlete.