These are wise words from a young man who is growing as a student and an athlete, understanding that these moments are preparing him for his career.
As an athlete, it’s hard to refocus after a tough loss and turn your attention to school. As a student, it’s hard to refocus after a rough exam or presentation and shift your mindset to practice or a game. Yet, Simonetti’s ability to compartmentalize and stay in the moment is one of the valuable lessons he has learned during his time at Hartwick — one which made an impression on a professor.
“Colby is a quiet student,” said Professor Lorena Marra. “This does not mean that he is not paying attention or participating; it just means he has a thoughtful way about him. One thing I noticed recently was when he had to do a presentation for my class. He had been injured in lacrosse, but he still got up in front of the class and did his presentation. I would not have known he had been injured except when I was speaking with him later. He did not mention it before presenting, even though his ankle was doubled in size, he did not draw any extra attention to himself, just to his presentation topic.”
Another thing Simonetti has learned along the way is that communication between student-athletes and their professors is vital for their success — in the classroom and on the field. There are several times throughout a season when students have clinicals or exams on the same day as a game. In return, the School of Nursing makes it a priority to adjust clinical schedules around a student athlete’s game schedule to allow them the flexibility of taking exams on different days when they are absent due to traveling to contests.
“Before the semester even starts, I ask students for a list of the days that they will need to be off for their games,” explained Marra. “This allows me to better coordinate their clinical times on days that they do not have sport commitments.”
Simonetti’s lacrosse coaches also embrace this cooperative balance.
“One of our program’s main values is to focus on action versus words,” Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Don LaSala explained. “We make it a priority to meet with our players to discuss their academics and allow them to take days or hours off of our study hall requirements based on their performance in the classroom. We want to help create adults who can communicate through conflict and face adversity head-on.”
For Simonetti, whether his exercises are clinical or physical, it’s all just practice for what comes after he leaves Hartwick.
“Just like I need to separate my academics and athletics at times, I’ll need to separate my work life and personal life in the future,” he explained. “I can’t let a 12-hour shift in a hospital turn into a 16-hour shift because I’m still thinking about it when I get home.”
