Another Team....Another Family!

Name: Siobhan Callanan

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Barrington, IL

Major: Mechanical Engineering, French and Math minors

****************************************************************************************
So let’s see … where to start?!?

My name is Siobhan and I’m from Chicago, Illinois. I love to both play and watch sports and I’m addicted to shopping. I love my Cubbies and DA BEARS!!  I am both a tomboy and a girlie girl and love both. I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in French and Math, while also playing on the women's basketball team. What can I say … I like to keep busy!

I’m not gonna lie … playing a varsity sport at Hopkins while also studying engineering is definitely not an easy task. After my classes are over on weekdays, I have to devote three hours to practice, if not at least 5 or 6 to a game. This is time when most of Hopkins is in their rooms or in the library doing homework and/or studying for an upcoming midterm (because there often seems to be one). However, even though I might have to stay at the library later than most or just plain work harder than most, I would never change my decision to play sports in college.

Getting to campus on the first day, I had no idea what to expect. I was a typical freshman: clueless, nervous, but tried to act completely normal, like I already owned the place. I was most nervous to meet the rest of the team … what would they think of me? How would they treat the freshmen? What would the coaches be like? What would practice be like? I knew that there were two other freshmen; I wondered what they’d be like …would we get along? If not … oh no, because we will have four years together! However, some of those worries were put to rest later that day when I returned to my dorm and found a note from some of the girls on the team. They had stopped by to see how move-in went and to see if I wanted to go out with them and the rest of the team later that night. I felt a huge wave of relief … at least they were welcoming.

That night, the majority of the team went to one of the juniors’ apartments; we hung out and got to know each other. The other two freshmen, Lyndsay and Hayley, and I were somewhat reserved, we didn’t really know what to expect. I’m sure we were all feeling the same: nervous but excited at the same time. At first, it was somewhat overwhelming. We were thrown into a mix of 10-12 girls who knew each other like sisters, but they never made us feel at all out of place. It was as though we were just a new addition to a family, which is really the way a team should be.

Being on the women’s basketball team at Hopkins, I have become more than a member of a team. As I said, I am part of a family. I know that I have 15 girls and 4 coaches to whom I can turn to if I ever have any problem.s My problems become theirs, and their problems become mine. We face everything together: together in victory and together in defeat.

If you have the chance to play a sport at the collegiate level, embrace it and become the newest member of a family. Even if you choose not to play a varsity sport, try to play club and/or intramural sports. If you decide it’s not for you, then it’s not for you, but you will have met so many amazing people in the process that it will have made it all worth while.

GO BLUE JAYS!!!

If anyone has any questions about playing sports at Hopkins or in college in general, don’t hesitate to ask.

Photo Captions:

1. Our team (minus Hayley): Back row from left: Lyndsay, Sarah, Me, Jenna, Kristin, Dods, Sloane. Middle: Steph, Katie, Les, Leigh. Bottom: Monica, Jonay, Stasia, Brit

2. Our 4 coaches: Coach Snell, Coach Funk, Coach Richardson, and Coach Mo

3. Our Team, SERIOUS FACES!!!!

4. Majority of the team at Halloween. 

Comments

[JHU_Jessica]

That Halloween picture is so amazing no only are the costumes great, but the facial expressions too! What were you?

[JHU_Siobhan]

haha...i was a football player!! four other girls on the team and I were all football players, and then another girl was a blind ref!! it was hilarious!!

[Brittany]

hi, i was admitted ED to Hopkins and i am very interested in playing on the basketball team. i received some offers to play at other schools, but i wasn't interested in their academics. Do you know of any steps i would be able to take in order to make my eagerness to play known to the coaches and increase my chances of walking on?

i have contacted the coach but i have heard little back.
Thank you =)

[JHU_Siobhan]

Brittany,
If you are interested in playing for the women's basketball team, I suggest that you continue to contact the coaches, either by email or by calling them. There is also a recruiting form online that you can fill out. It is on the women's bball homepage. If it turns out that playing on our team doesnt work out, there are a lot of club teams and an intramural league. Some girls tried to walk on this season, but we already had enough girls on our team (16), and they decided to play club. Also, there are also normally pick up games going on in the Rec Center at most times during the day, especially at night.

Hope that helps

[sharon Callanan]

Hi Siobhan,

Just keeping an eye on you. Looks like you are getting on fine.

Loads of love.

Sharon