Name: Kyle Peirce

College you are attending: Carthage College

Sport: Basketball

Year graduated: 2017

What is it like to play sports in college?

“It’s been a really fun experience so far, getting to meet new people while continuing to do what I love. It is certainly grueling at times, based on the amount of time it takes up, but it has absolutely been worth it so far.”

How does your sport differ from high school to college?

“The pace of the game is faster, you don’t have as much time to think while you’re on the court and the guys are bigger and more athletic so guarding them or trying to score on them is definitely tougher than in high school.”

How did you transition from high school to college?

“So I worked out a ton over the summer and the first week I got to campus we started our preseason lifting and conditioning which was around five or six weeks long up until practice officially started, so they got us going right from the gate.”

What is your favorite part about playing sports in college? Why?

“My favorite thing probably has been the guys I have on my team, they’ve been awesome by welcoming me and the other freshman to the team and we all get along really well.”

What is the hardest part about playing sports in college? Why?

“The toughest thing I’ve done so far would have to be playing a team six hours away and driving back that same night. We didn’t end up getting back to campus until around 3 A.M. and I had a class at eight in the morning the next day so that was definitely an adverse situation.”

How have you balanced academics and sports in college?

“I’ve done a pretty good job balancing schoolwork with basketball. The key for me is just to budget my time and plan when I do my homework around when I practice.”