LukePettersen13

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.

Luke Pettersen is an infielder on the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher baseball team. He is currently studying entrepreneurial management, marketing, baseball, and video games. My love for baseball began long before I knew how to pick up a bat. The first day I arrived home from the hospital, I hunkered into a sling close to my dad’s chest while he chased my brothers around the bases in the backyard (it seems the youngest child doesn’t get the royal treatment). As I grew older, I perched on his back in the third base coaching box where I held the best view for all the little league games. My parents frequently recall the first time I held a bat and how I wiggled it and squatted low into my stance, peering at an imaginary pitcher on the mound. In my opinion, I’m just lucky I watched more left-handed hitters those first few years. I first learned competition in the backyards of a suburban neighborhood. In a community full of future collegiate athletes, the older and more developed opponents tended to prevail. And as kids do, I looked up to all of them. So naturally, I tagged along day after day, even through defeat. One of my biggest role models emerged from that neighborhood crew, my brother AJ, who some of you may be familiar with through his posts on Twins Daily. I had the privilege of watching his career unfold as a division I, and eventually, professional baseball player. All the while, I focused on my own aspirations, following in his footsteps to one day wear the maroon and gold. I accomplished my goal through numerous failures, lots of video, an incredibly supportive family, and a little bit of luck. It’s an odd feeling when a dream becomes a reality… but for me, it has simply triggered greater ambitions. Through a year and a half of collegiate baseball I have formed friendships around the country, experiencing the highs of highs and the lows of lows, sharing abundant laughs and most significantly, learning about myself. I like turf, knocking a three pointer with a hand in my face, moms frozen dinners, and hitting tees. I dislike snow (unless there’s enough to cancel class), rocks in the infield, and Brussels sprouts. I hope to share insight into the everyday life of a collegiate athlete, from the ups and downs of road trips, to the hours of video games in the offseason. If there’s anything you’d like me to write about, leave a comment. I’m all ears. Go around the bases and learn more about me at http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/103015aaa.html You can follow Luke on twitter @Lpett47