Jack White, Special to The Denisonian

Reid Richardson ‘29 knows balance. As a member of the men’s swimming and diving team, Richardson also maintains a role as one of Denison Sports Network’s lead broadcasters.

With mornings starting before sunrise, followed by hours of training, school, and then training once again in the evenings, the room for rest throughout the day is seemingly nonexistent for Richardson.

That’s why he puts so much emphasis on his broadcasting role. Without a lot of time for rest, engaging in a task that provides variation and reward for his interests is key to avoiding burnout.

When asked what his inspiration was for joining the DSN, Richardson explained that “[As a kid], I went to bed listening to Braves games on the radio.”

This passion would follow him throughout his high school career, at a point in time where, although he was on his high school’s varsity swim team, that wasn’t his main sport.

“I played a lot of travel baseball in high school,” Richardson said.” “I didn’t start swimming club until I was recruited by Denison.”

Once Richardson made the full-time switch to swimming and arrived at Denison, he was immediately faced with the challenge of a training regimen that he had never experienced before.

“[It was] the most I have ever worked out in my life.”

In part to help offset the mental stress of his athletic and academic commitments, Richardson applied and was accepted by the DSN as a broadcaster this year, where he has already seen immediate positive impacts.

“I love staying fresh, staying sharp; you have to use your brain,” Richardson said.

It is this mental emphasis that allows Richardson to find success and balance in his commitments. He also noted how important it was to not let the weight of one area impact the other. 

“You might have a bad week, you might have a bad week and a half… [but] you have to [be able] to shift your mindset from the school to the pool,” Richardson said. 

And likewise for Richardson, staying mentally sharp is essential when the headset goes on and the mic goes live. 

A balance between athletics, academics and passions is something that not only student-athletes seek, but coaches preach as well. Katie Sprague, a Denison swim alum and licensed psychologist, has been Denison swim and dive’s culture coach for the past seven years. 

Sprague remembers prioritizing her sleep whenever she could, which helped her become a two-time conference champion and seven-time All-American during her career. 

While this strategy helped her become a highly accomplished collegiate athlete she also remembers other athletes taking different routes to decompress from the grueling schedule.

“Some [needed] the social outlet,” she said. “[It was] different for everyone. “[Athletes should do whatever] feeds their soul and helps them.”

When asked about her point of view regarding a mental reset, Sprague stressed the importance of listening to one’s own body.

“Don’t compare yourself to other people. [Think]: what do I need to be successful?”

For swimmer Desiree Blute ‘30  and diver Sarah Willoughby ‘30, this is the exact thought process that drives their daily routine. For Blute, her method of practicing balance comes in the form of playing the harp.

“It’s a nice break from school and swim,” Blute said. “I have a lesson once a week with a professor, and other than that I can go whenever I have free time to practice.”

In addition to the mental reset provided by her harp commitment, Blute has also noticed a big impact on her musical talent in terms of dealing with anxiety before races. 

“Sometimes, when [I’m] really nervous for a race, I will start thinking about the harp because I know it is something that other people can’t relate to. If this race goes bad, I am still a very good harpist, and that is something that nobody else [at the meet] has.”

For Willoughby, her method of balance follows in parallel to Sprague’s techniques in that it is simple, but extremely effective.

“It helps to plan out your week on Sunday, so you know what has to get done and not be scrambling with [too much] on your plate.”

While straightforward in practice, this strategy has helped Willoughby find her groove in terms of being able to put her entire effort and attention into everything she does.

“Time management has helped me not feel overwhelmed, and be in the moment wherever I am,” Willoughby said. “It helps to not feel stressed about stuff I have to do [later on].”