The Sparty Countdown... #8 & #7

Continuing on with The Sparty Countdown of the things I will miss most about college, East Lansing, and Michigan State; here are numbers 8 and 7: 

#8 - Grand River & the EL Community

I didn't start to truly appreciate East Lansing until I moved off campus - and I guess I shouldn't expect anything different. Living in the heart of downtown EL and in the neighborhoods for 2 years (and kind of this year, though my apartment complex this year is not quite 'community' material) was such a treat. The part of East Lansing I lived in with Natalie was awesome - it was just far enough away from campus so that it wasn't crazy, but close enough to walk to classes and hear the band and stadium cheers during football games; it was in the middle of neighborhoods that were quaint and great to walk through; and it was right outside of Valley Court Park. And this park and its East Lansing activities... equally as awesome as the neighborhood area itself! Weekly Farmer's Market on Sunday's, 'Midnight Movies' on a big screen during the summer, open areas to read, suntan, or play. It's no wonder I still call it home :)

Grand River Avenue is also something I've come to love about East Lansing and my time at State. Seems a little weird that what, a road would make the list... but coming from a town that isn't conducive to getting around by foot, I loved being able to walk around and go into all the shops and restaurants or just walk the street on a nice day. And the places that were my favorite on Grand River: Noodles and Company, Chipotle, Urban Outfitters, Beggar's Banquet, SBS (because that's where I got my free books and Christmas presents for family), Bubble Island, Splash of Color (where I got my nose pierced, which was unfortunately short-lived), Barnes & Noble (until it closed!), my favorite bar -PT O'Malley's, Conrads (of course, haha), Insomnia Cookies, and the Douglas J Aveda Institute (where I got many a quality haircut and pampered for cheap). It's not that I won't have any of these places elsewhere, but they've worked their way into many memories I have at State and have provided many smiles and laughs along the way!

#7 - Jenison 
With all the blood, sweat, and tears (no joke) that I have shed at Jenison Fieldhouse, there's no way that it couldn't make the list! Jenison is so much more than just a Fieldhouse and the place I played volleyball. In fact, the Fieldhouse itself is probably one of the least nostalgic parts compared to all of my other memories in the building.


First is the Training Room. Ohhhh, the training room. I think I could probably challenge any student-athlete to most time spent in there and come close to winning any battle; and I joke that I could be an athletic trainer simply based on my own experiences. Now obviously the injuries and ailments  that had me in the training room for most of my career - from a torn ACL and a bulged disc, to stress fractures and pulled muscles, of course the hurt shoulders, and even now as an alumni a microfracture knee surgery - these were not part of my wonderful memories. But the time spent in there with Lianna, our athletic trainer, before practices, on game-day, and for rehab because of these problems certainly was. I'll talk about Lianna more in an upcoming post, but the Training Room oddly enough felt like a second home and was a place where the team got filled in on the latest gossip, just hung out to avoid pre-practice drills, or went for a respite from the stress. It actually became a joke among our team about how comfortable and frequently we went in there, especially on road trips - we all loved treatment and hangout time so much at home that we would literally overtake the Training Room on the road... to the point of head trainers sending out 'Warning Texts' to other head trainers if we were coming the next day! Also another visiting team's Training Room, Ohio State I think, had a sign in theirs saying that the Training Room was "not to become a place of social hangouts." HA. Jenison couldn't pass that rule if they tried! Oh, how I'll miss the laughs and good times spent there!

Second in Jenison: the Weight Room, mainly because of our strength coach, Red (again, later in the countdown), but also because of the control and competence that I always felt up there. I may be in the minority here, but I really do genuinely enjoy lifting. There was no greater feeling than being challenged and completing a good workout (well, some I'd prefer not to remember, say the "Unwise Business Decision" or No-Card workouts) away from the volleyball environment. So I'm going to miss not only the weight room and staff, but also being pushed and having workouts created for me all the time (my body is already regretting not being pushed hard every day!). The place that I started off dreading because of the "Freshman Lift" (100 bench presses, anyone?) and horror stories I made up in my head became yet another place of relief and respite. I knew I would rarely leave there feeling unaccomplished or burdened because of the relationships I have developed with the strength staff and the way in which they challenged me to get better both physically and mentally.

Next is of course the Locker Room. So much of my time has been spent climbing the 3 flights of stairs to get to the locker room. Although at the time I detested those stairs (especially after a hard workout or during pre-season), I'm going to miss climbing them because I know where they lead: My team's home. No matter what happened to us in the outside world, we were always able to come together and be as one through volleyball, and that transformation and unity among us always started in here. Watching TV or movies (or coming in to cartoons being on?!)... playing games... blowing out the speakers a gazillion times... listening to visualization tapes... talking and hanging out... trying to recover after a killer workout... getting the renovation and 'kitchen cupboards?!'... helping each other cope and get through difficult times... Gatorade... "shotty first shower"... preparing for an upcoming game or season... countless hours worth of team meetings and film sessions... having our pre-game dance parties and 'Photoshoots'... celebrating a big win... even wallowing in the frustration of defeat... and inevitably crying as we bid farewell to the seniors every year... it all happened in the locker room. And no matter who comes in and decides to replace my locker and #5, that corner will always be my home!

Finally is of course the Fieldhouse itself. Even if the smell does make me a little sick to my stomach,  I know it will always fill me with the anticipation, excitement, and anxiousness of game-day. Although I think we can all admit that it isn't the most up-to-date arena out there (but it did get some nice updates this past year!), having the opportunity to play for a Big 10 institution in a facility with such rich history and community support was an incredible honor and blessing. The Fieldhouse = Game-Day! And I don't think words can even describe the emotions and feelings associated the place in which I competed for past 5 years. So with that... GO GREEN!