Courtesy Photo | Doaneline
Written by Trey Perry
Significant playing time is not a reality for all Doane athletes.
And while some athletes that play less have chose to step away from athletics, there are some whose dedication to their sports has never wavered.
Junior men’s soccer player, Keegan Whisler, is a transfer student from Colorado, meaning this last season was Whisler’s first college season ever. However, because of an arm injury, Whisler didn’t play in a single game all season and knows how it feels to get little playing time.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Whisler said. “You feel like you can make a difference and you want to make a difference and you just don’t have the opportunity.”
For Whisler, soccer has always been a major part of his life. He is currently 27 years old, having just finishing an eight year break from school after attending college in Colorado for two years. During his break he worked a full time job as a government contractor and continued to play soccer and help coach his younger brothers’ teams, who now play for Doane as well. He said that soccer had always been in his family, with his parents getting him started in the sport as his first coaches.
Not only has soccer been fun for Whisler and a tradition for his family, but it was also a life saver. A fight against cancer also occupied Whisler’s time during his break from school. He said that going to his brothers’ games and continuing to coach pushed him to fight.
Whisler said there were many times that he thought about stepping away from the sport to focus on his health, but soccer itself was a big contributor to him beating his disease.
“This is why I’m here, this where I need to be right now,” Whisler said.
Now, Whisler continues to love soccer and the close unit of friends that it gives him. Despite his minimal playing time he plans to play until he graduates. His advice to other athletes experiencing little playing time was to remember that everyone on a team impacts its overall success, even if it’s just through training.
Senior football player, Jeff Merritt, has played since he was in third grade. He played all four years in high school and was one of the team’s starters for three of those years. He eventually ended up at Doane with a scholarship offer. Merritt played his first three years on the team’s junior varsity squad and then was put on varsity this last season, however he only played in one game.
When Merritt received the offer to play at Doane, he said that he was extremely excited.
“It was like the gravy on top of the potatoes,” Merritt said.
But like Whisler, Merritt said that the thought of quitting crossed his mind several times because of his little playing time. However Merritt decided to finish out his college football career and he credited his teammates, family and faith for the decision.
“There’s a lot of great guys on that team that you build such great relationships with,” Merritt said.
He said that a team Bible study also helped him get through times when he questioned his time on the team and always remembered the life lesson that his parents taught him, to never quit anything. But at the root of it all, Merritt said his basic “love for the game” kept him playing.
Junior women’s basketball player, Lauren Schmidt, had a similar lack of of playing time in basketball this year.
Schmidt has played basketball since she was in third grade and continued through all four years of high school. Now at Doane, she said she’s gotten a couple minutes of playing time per game, causing Schmidt to contemplate stepping away from basketball on more than one occasion.
However, with the support of her family, no matter her decision, Schmidt said that her fellow players are the biggest reason she’s stayed.
“You signed up to be part of a team,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said that no matter how much playing time a player gets, every person on a team has a role to fill and the team wouldn’t be successful without everyone fulfilling them.
For Schmidt, basketball has given her more than just a game, but friends and life lessons. She said she’s learned how to work with others in one unit and loves the competitive atmosphere.
Whisler, Merritt and Schmidt have found something more than fun in their respective sports. They’ve found help through tough times, life lessons and a group of friends.
For the three of them, these values have been much more important than the simple gratitude of more playing time.