T.J. Pilewski, a junior that plays for club lacrosse shows a great deal of passion. After suffering a devasting injury, he mustered up the courage to keep playing and proved to be resilient in any given situation.
“After having to get surgery on my hip from a horrible injury I somehow defied the odds and were able to come back to the sport I truly love.”
Great athletes can be an unstoppable force for any sport, that is if you have a great coach. Coaches are the defining factor of any great player. A good coach can teach you the ways of the game but a great coach can also teach you about life.
“My high school lacrosse coach was a big mentor for me, Coach brothers is his name, he saw so much potential in me and pushed me to be great,” said Pilewski. “He not only taught the fundamentals of the game but also he showed me the path to being a good human in general.”
Having your priorities in check will allow anyone to focus on what is truly needed in life.
“My top five priorities in my life have to be first school, the relationships, then health, then work, and finally fitness.”
In sports, challenges can arise, and these can vary from all types of things. These challenges can hurt the athlete’s mind or sway them to think differently about themselves.
“I believe the hardest things to overcome as an athlete are keeping your mental health healthy and having good time management,” said Pilewski. “Without those, you’re simply not going to survive.”
Dieting is an essential part of any athlete’s routine. Putting the right nutrition into your body and staying healthy allows athletes to stay in tip-top shape.
“My daily routine is fairly simple, I wake up, go to the gym, I eat, after I eat, then I go straight to class and then when everything is done, I get to relax,” said Pilewski. “I also always make sure to check track of my macros, just so I know how much I’m putting into my body.”
Leadership qualities are something that many teams look into when trying to find a good player. Pilewski, as a former captain in high school understands what it takes for an athlete to make that next step.
“In high school, I was named captain for my team, I was so happy at the fact,” said Pilewski. “Then I started to actually think about it and it came to me that I have to be the leader of this team and push my guys to the best of their capabilities, I was responsible for them.”
Pilewski and the rest of the club lacrosse team had a very good plan for their season. They played two games and unfortunately, they lost both games.
“This is not what we as a team expected, the 0-2 start is not what we wanted,” said Pilewski. “But I know me and the guys have everything we need to turn this thing around, the question is can we execute.”