The Heart of DIII: Passion Meets Perseverance

Explore the incredible journey of DIII student-athletes balancing academics, sports, and life—showcasing their unwavering dedication and love for the game.

My first love was tennis. From a young age, I spent every free moment on court, competing and chasing the thrill of winning tournaments. But at 14 years old, I got injured. What should have been a simple recovery turned into over two years of seeing doctors, physical therapy, and the frustration of not playing again. When I finally returned, I found it challenging to reignite the love I once had for the sport, feeling disconnected, with joy being replaced by obligation. 

When I got to college, I feared for my social life, so I gave tennis another shot. I walked on with high hopes of finding love for the sport that once made up the majority of my persona. At the DIII level, I came in expecting a relaxed environment, and without any pressure of potentially going pro. However, I quickly realized that balancing academics, practices, matches, and personal life was anything but easy. For days, I doubted my decision. The stress of managing academics, pushing my body every day on the court, and maintaining a healthy social life quickly became overwhelming. It was way more complicated than I expected. 

However, despite the stress and exhaustion, there was a lot of joy. Memories of being with the team, competing against tough opponents, and the friends I made from sharing the same struggles. In this photo essay, I’m capturing not only my story, but one of countless DIII athletes. From the pressures of managing many different aspects of life, Division III athletes all share a common experience: a clash between passion for their sport while managing their responsibilities.


 



Wake Up! Practice at 6 am before class is just the start of the day for many DIII athletes. The early commitments are one part of the sacrifice athletes make as a DIII athlete. Taking care of you body and eating healthy becomes necessary to maintain your health

 A young athlete captured mid-swing during practice. The image shows the focus and  physical effort needed during a practice. 

An athlete caught mid-practice helping a teammate work on parts of his game. As Ollie Bonovich explains, "Practice makes perfect, I don't want only myself to succeed but my teammates. It becomes more than just individual success, but you want to win as a team." A team's success is a large fueling factor towards a DIII athlete's motivation
Heat, sweat, exhaustion, relief, and frustration. These two teammates just finished a match competing for a spot in the lineup. A high-states that moment that expresses the stress and frustration of DIII athletes when passion demands success 




This schedule was created by a DIII baseball player for his typical Monday. Exams, classes, practice, and social events all occur on the same day, showing that the lack of free time forces athletes to manage their time better, such as making daily schedule. The stress comes from never having enough time to balance everything at once. 

An athlete sitting in the corner of the locker room, trying to get school work done before practice alongside all his gear. This image shows how success in academics requires creating time in the margins of your day, proving the constant stress DIII student athletes face with managing their schedule. 
This is my first year here and it is tough. Especially when we're away with the team, you really don't want to think about school. We don't get the tutoring and the help that D1 players so managing our schedule is something I'm trying to figure out still. Last weekend when we were away, I forgot about my homework deadline so I ended up having to do my homework in the van

Jake Bravo

Tennis player


An athlete on court visibly depleted and exhausted  during practice. As a DIII athlete, you love your sport. But the constant mental and physical toll sometimes gets the better of you, which can impact your performance. That's frustrating as a player.





Injuries play a large role towards the frustration of a DIII athlete. We don't have trainers on stand by like division one teams. When we feel something, we decide whether it's bad enough or not. It can catch up to you and can lead to even worse injuries. The constant strain DIII athletes have on their mental and phisical health leads to disappointing injuries that takes you away from playing the sport you love
Several teammates gather to have lunch on a nice day. The moments of spending time with your teammates are crucial for dealing with the high pressure schedule of a Division III athlete. The bonds built off court reduce the stresses and frustrations shown earlier, and transform it into a meaningful experience






This final image of a tennis racket laying next to open books and textbook reflect the dual identity DIII athletes have. Having a passion for a sport while staying on top of their responsibilities. 

These pictures shown in the essay express how being a DIII athlete can result in constant balancing, which causes a low mental well-being. We saw last minute deadline work, limited free time in a day, and even athletes studying in unexpected places. It also shows us how lesser resources for DIII athletes compared to DI, which only provides more pressure for the athletes succeed. However, the experiences that come with playing a sport through friendships, hard fought wins, and emotions leave us to realize that the athletes chose this hard path because they’re passionate. The commitments is about setting high standards for success that will benefit you after college.

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