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Bailey Hyland and The D3 Athlete Experience By bailey HYLAND '22

I have been involved in athletics for as long as I can remember. As a hyperactive 3-year-old, my mother decided to put me in a sport that allowed me to exert some of that youthful energy. I began competitive gymnastics and did so for eight years. It was not until fifth grade that I changed my athletic focus towards basketball.

In middle school, we were required to play three sports, one during each season, which exposed me to the different kinds of satisfaction that each sport gave. Despite my participation in field hockey and softball, my love for basketball continued to grow. I was recruited by the head coach of the women’s basketball team here at Trinity, Emily Garner, and offered a spot on the team soon after my overnight visit. Admittedly, I was hesitant. I always pictured myself as a Division I player where basketball would be my primary focus during my undergraduate experience. However, I recognized the positive aspects of being a D3 athlete. I would not be labeled as just an athlete; I could create an identity outside of that.

In my first year at Trinity, I focused strictly on my academics and basketball. I was nervous to join any club or organization in fear of not being able to balance it all. Although, I look back and wish I took myself out my comfort zone sooner, I am happy I was able to do so beginning in my sophomore year of school. In 2019 I was nominated to be the representative for the women’s basketball team for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.). The central aim of this committee is to enhance the student-athlete experience not only in Trinity’s campus, but other campuses nationwide as well. Additionally, integrating the student-athlete population with the non-student athlete population was an integral part of that experience. That same year, I joined the Athletes of Color Coalition (A.C.C) as Co-Community Engagement Chair. Being from the area, I was able to connect local organizations with ACC for volunteer opportunities that focused on youth of color who are interested in playing at the collegiate level. In contrast to my first year, I could not believe that I was doing all of this and still playing high-level D3 basketball. With team meetings, three lifts a week, practice every day, and 2-3 games a week, I proved to myself that it is possible to be an elite athlete while also having interests outside of my sport.

When the pandemic cut my sophomore year short, I was still able to make a difference at Trinity. In the summer of the pandemic, at the height of race relation tensions, multiple multicultural organizations on campus, including ACC, came together to form the Umoja Coalition. This coalition called for positive change to happen on Trinity’s campus regarding the experiences of people of color, problematic building names, and faculty hiring. Going into my junior year, changes were made (and continue to be made) thanks to the Umoja Coalition. Throughout that year, I continued my participation in both organizations and became the Co-Communications Liaison for ACC before becoming the Vice President my senior year. I was able to do all of this and still excel with my team and as an athlete personally.

If there’s one thing about the NESCAC, it’s level of unpredictability makes it one of the most competitive, fun, and elite D3 conferences in the country. For women’s basketball, the NESCAC consists of 11 teams, four of which typically end up competing for the national championship in post-season. As this year was my last, I wanted to make the best of it. My goal was to match my accomplishments in my extracurricular activities with my athletic ones. Despite the adversities my team experienced this season, we were able to reach that goal. We beat three out of the four teams that we had not beaten since I had been here, made program history by going into the NESCAC tournament as the top seed, and made it to the semi-final round for the first time in a decade. Coach Garner was named NESCAC Coach of the Year, and I was honored with NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Thanks to Trinity, I have been able to make authentic connections with people in and outside of the athletic realm, balance high academics with athletics and social life, and have been presented post-graduate opportunities along the way. As my experience comes to an end, I cannot picture my collegiate athletic experience any other way.