Princeton University Athletics
The True Student-Athlete
September 30, 2002 | Field Hockey
Sept. 30, 2002
Today's student athlete is asked to devote the entire year to his or her sport and still keep good grades in the classroom. It's not easy at most colleges, let alone Princeton University with its high academic standards. And it's definitely not easy when you are at Princeton and play two sports. That is, unless you are Rachael Becker, and then your substantial achievements on and off the field just make it seem easy.
Becker, a senior and captain of both the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams, has made it all look easy with celebrated success in both sports and in the classroom. A psychology major out of Broomall, Pa., Becker earned first-team All-America honors as well as Academic All-America honors while leading the women's lacrosse team to the national championship last spring.
"It's come as no surprise to me that Rachael has been able to achieve great things both on the field and in the classroom at Princeton," says head lacrosse coach Chris Sailer. "Rachael is a self-motivated person who approaches everything she does with effort and intensity. Her drive and discipline have allowed her to immerse herself fully in the academic and athletic life of Princeton." This fall she is ready to lead a field hockey team that some think can win the NCAA title. With many postseason games forecast for her respective teams this year and a full load of courses at one of the premier academic institutions in the country, Becker isn't quite sure what free time really is.
"Time management is the key," says Becker. "Having practice year-round doesn't give you much free time at all. There really isn't an off-season for me."
Off-season in Becker's world is one week. She takes a week off after the last field hockey game and then starts her preseason lacrosse training. She has, on average, three hours of class per day and schedules those classes in the morning. After lunch, she concentrates on schoolwork until about 3 p.m., which is when practice rolls around.
"I return from practice around 7 p.m.," says Becker. "I eat dinner and do more work before I finally go to sleep."
And that is only the practice schedule. Once games start, some of the toughest challenges of being a true student-athlete are game days themselves. After a draining game, it's never easy to shift gears into a study mode. Sometimes it's not just a game, but a draining weekend. "Road trips are hard," says Becker. "It can be hard to get a lot of work done on the road, and when you return to campus, it's usually Sunday so you have to start your week with a little less preparation than you would like."
Her days and weekends may be jam-packed with athletic practices and schoolwork, but it's her passion for sports and geriatric studies that make her days at Princeton extremely satisfying. With a social psychology focus, Becker's enthusiasm lies in geriatrics. She spent a week over the summer researching at the Institute of Aging at the University of Pennsylvania and is writing her thesis on the link between aging and depression.
"I think the elderly are so full of knowledge and have so much to offer," says Becker. "I love working with them and talking to them and that is what makes me want to go into geriatrics."
Not sure of the exact path she'll take, Becker has thought about careers in geriatric psychology and hospital admini-stration. It's pretty certain, however, that graduate school is in her future.
"I would love to become a graduate assistant and do a little coaching," says Becker. "I've started looking at programs, but I haven't narrowed it down yet."
Whatever path she takes, it's a guarantee that Becker will be successful. Beth Bozman, the field hockey coach at Princeton, says that "Rachael is driven to succeed," and by all indications, she is right. Named the Herbert Rathey Scholar Athlete and Delaware County Female Athlete of the Year at Marple Newtown High School, Becker has piled up the championships and national honors while at Princeton.
Becker has won five Ivy League championships in her first three years at Princeton. She has a national title and numerous All-Ivy selections. She was the youngest player named to the 2001 first-team All-America and was the Inside Lacrosse Defensive Player of the year last season.
"Rachael has high expectations for herself, and she's able to fulfill them so well because she knows her priorities," says Sailer. "Whereas other students might get overwhelmed just contemplating Rachael's schedule, she isn't even fazed by it. Rachael looks at Princeton as a place where she can challenge herself in all sorts of ways. With her strong work ethic and personal commitment, Rachael serves as a wonderful leader and role model to her teams. I'm so proud of all she's accomplished here."
It's her domination on the field and achievement in the classroom that separates Becker. An All-America on both the academic and athletic side, Rachael Becker can be called a true student-athlete.
by Tom Milajecki