Although it may feel like it’s a typical frigid February, don’t be fooled by the unusual snowfall and unbearable winter weather we’re all loving so much. Aside from Spring hypothermia and Duke’s single-handedly ruining the nation’s March Madness brackets, you’ve probably also noticed the gleaming faces and painfully obvious symptoms of senioritis exhibited by many students recently. Yes…they’re the ones who just received a thick, exciting, relief-filled package in the mail. Those fortunate students who have been accepted, along with those who have already made their deposits, are preparing for what could possibly be the best experience of their lives: being a freshman again.

As the class of 2014 comes full circle from being at the top of the food chain, to reliving their first years of high school, something many seem to overlook is the magnitude of how huge their decision is going to be. It is possible that not everyone realizes how important choosing the right school is…Spoiler: it’s really important. But the situation students are faced with may be a bit more significant in the long run, than the name they would like to see atop their bachelor’s degrees. These young men and women are about to choose how they want to live the next four years of their lives. With such an immense decision in their hands, many students will be considering the environment, courses of study, prominence of athletics, and let’s not forget the all-important party scenes, at each of their respective colleges. The direction they want their lives to head in is entirely up to them, and settling down for four years is a huge commitment they have to be willing to make. But there’s one group in particular that might understand the commitment and impact college will have on their lives more than the average college-bound senior: the future collegiate athletes.

Cooper Lacetera, an invaluable member and star of the varsity tennis team since eighth grade, will be one of the few students living the life of a college athlete this fall. His next four years will be spent at the University of Redlands in California, and although he’ll (hopefully) be attending classes just like the rest of the freshmen, his day-to-day life is going to differ greatly from the ordinary student’s. Here’s a look into the life of one of Westhampton’s few college-bound athletes.

As a high school student, Cooper lifts, “just about every day depending on the match schedule and who the opponent is…at least three to four times during the week.” As far as training goes, he said he’s “training no matter what.” Now that’s dedication. When there’s scheduled practices, Cooper joins his fellow teammates on the courts at first singles—the most coveted spot on the team. However, he says, “When it rains, I go indoors.” And because he’s a go-getter, he added, “I’ll sometimes go indoors after practice to get more hitting in.” This seemingly overwhelming practice and motivated mindset are essential to staying at the top of his game and surely have a lot to do with why Cooper has been recruited by various Division I and Division III schools and will be pursuing the life of a college athlete.

“I obviously go to school, make sure I’m hydrated and have eaten enough, and then get on the bus to play or go to the courts for practice,” Cooper said when asked about a typical day during the on-season in high school. However, during college this schedule might be a little different. A few months from now, he’ll, “practice, go to work outs in the morning, then go to class, then lunch, then class again, then practice from 3-5pm, classes again, then fitness training.” Just reading that is probably making you exhausted, so it must certainly be quite taxing to live such a rigorous day-to-day routine.

In the off-season during high school, Cooper offered that, “it’s more important when it comes to college recruitment, so the average day would be school followed by tennis for about an hour and a half at night.” But, it all “depends on if I have a tournament on the weekend or not.”

On the other hand, during the college off-season, he will, “go to early morning training, then classes, then lunch, then classes, then practice from 3-5pm, and I personally will go to the gym to do more individual work.” Although that seems pretty exhausting, he plans to, “do homework and chill at night,” when the day finally comes to a close.

While most students will return to their roots here on Long Island for winter break, Thanksgiving, or maybe even for a surprise birthday visit, the life of a college athlete can be a bit preventative with such travels. On the subject of being able to visit home, he “will not have the small week breaks other kids have due to traveling for matches.” In addition, “I don’t know why I would want to leave California to come to cold weather.” Can’t really argue with that one. Cooper also feels that he has no interest in coming back to the Island, “other than seeing family and close friends.”

So, as your friends and family begin to make incredibly important decisions about the way they want to live their lives for the next four years, keep in mind the amount of thought and the sacrifices that will be made for the sake of their college education and experiences. It’s not a simple choice, by any means, but with the right amount of consideration, planning, and determination, making one of the biggest decisions of your life might turn out to be a little less intimidating than it actually seems. And hey, who knows- maybe you’ll end up in California, living the life at the fifteenth-best D. III tennis school in the country.