By Leah Bernstein
Art by Xiyona Gosain
Student life at the Pratt Institute is chock-full of options for anyone looking to occupy their time. But Pratt’s sports department, something that has a domineering physical prominence represented by the ARC (short for “Activity Resource Center) buIlding, doesn’t get much attention from its student body. There’s perhaps a bit of a disconnect between those involved with athletics and those not— to the point some aren’t aware of the teams present on campus!
In fact, Pratt’s equestrian team (something my classmates and I didn’t know existed until the start of October) is self-aware about their non-status on-campus in a tragically comedic manner, despite the healthy three or so hours they put into their training each week. The facility in which they train, the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy, also has a commute that ranges from one to two hours each way depending on one’s method of transportation. Yet there’s a real sense of passion from the team’s riders, from Aahan Pradhan citing his “love for horses, going fast and looking majestic”, to Chloe Joyce stating “it’s so fun to feel the wind in your hair, to go fast, and far off the ground. You really feel free.”
While three hours is not something to sneeze at, other teams like basketball and soccer go through at least six to eight hours a week during the on-season, as per the respective accounts of Emily Carlson and the Prattler’s own Editor-In-Chief Sarina Greene— though the latter has made it clear that the scheduling conflicts incurred by these hours led to her resignation from the soccer team. It’s a grueling effort, and don’t let the dominance of Construction Management on the men’s basketball team fool you— many of Pratt’s Cannoneers study anything from Game Arts, to Industrial Design, to Fashion Design.
This brings us to the inevitable question of whether or not there’s any tension between the sports and education departments, at Pratt specifically of course. Surprisingly? This is yet another factor that varies. A fair amount of athletes have accommodating teachers or convenient weekend-based schedules. Others? They may not be so lucky, especially with Pratt’s more popular— and often more demanding— sports that have meets and practices overlapping with assignments and exams.
In a way, this is something that truly compels me about the Pratt Institute’s sports department. This place doesn’t really have a reputation as a sports college, and many of the athletes I asked have remarked on having quite small audiences— yet there’s an unmistakable adoration for what occupies their after-hours, no matter how grueling it is, and I can only respect it.
Comments