A tribute to the old locker room, as construction on our new one starts today-

When people think of a locker room, they imagine the surroundings; the lockers, the gear, the showers. Although when you play a sport, it becomes much more than a storage area. The relationships formed and the stories shared give the space an entirely different meaning.

The locker room is where teams are formed, a place where you can sit down and chill with your buddies and escape the day’s troubles. Between the time you enter and the time you leave, there is not only a gear change but a mentality change as well. You can leave your daily stresses at the door and play a game you love, if only for a few hours.

I had never truly realized the impact of the locker room until one afternoon a few week ago, when I was sitting next to one of my roommates, sophomore pitcher, Jeff Fasching, as everyone was preparing for the Monday lift. First of three for the week. In front of us, about ten feet away, stood Lucas Gilbreath and Jordan Kozicky battling it out in Guitar Hero, a game introduced to the locker room this fall that has taken over the only television. Standing up around me, are goofball Tyler Hanson, freshman Terrin Vavra, and others playing catch with the football around the couches. I look up and they run a play action pass, and Vav drags his feet in front of the couch for what I assume to be a touchdown.

Behind us there is a table with squeaky chairs where others are sitting, eating snacks and talking about their weekends. The rest are scattered around the room hanging out. For a team that has been trying to get a new locker room for a couple years now, we might take for granted what we have, but in this moment, the room appears magical.

Over the course of my year and a half of collegiate baseball, I have learned that my strongest memories will be the friendships formed around the common goals of winning games and striving to be our best. Too often athletes can get caught up on performance, but our focus took on a new purpose that Monday… great guys and great friends, all enjoying the camaraderie we share.

The game of baseball has the power to wear you down mentally, and the friendships in the locker room become the strength for us to endure together. On this day and in this moment, I was given the serenity to step back and let it all settle in.

Though most of my collegiate career lies out ahead, I know that when the end comes I will miss going to the locker room every day and hunkering down in the corner by the fridge (or wherever my new locker may be). I will miss the sounds of laughter and friendship. I will miss the spirit of team and the laying down of ones troubles. As I sit in the room day after day, I can only imagine the memories and friendships of players before me, knit together by their deep love of the game.

If only the walls could talk.