The life of a student-athlete is a demanding balancing act. It requires dedication, discipline and determination, even when the offseason rolls around. No matter what time of year it is, being a student-athlete is a full-time job.
In fact, during the offseason, the grind only intensifies, as redshirt sophomore goalie Caylie McMahon knows all too well. With four-hour practices five days a week for the Michigan field hockey team, McMahon’s offseason routine is nothing short of rigorous — and that extends to the classroom too. She played almost 1,000 minutes during the 2023 season, showing her dedication to the sport she loves.
McMahon’s day starts well before most students get up, waking up at 6:30 a.m. to start her morning before practice.
McMahon, who usually picks up her freshmen teammates from South Quad Residence Hall, is expected to be at either the South Performance Center for lifting, the indoor track or Ocker Field to get going at 7:30 a.m. sharp. On Tuesdays, they run on the field doing sprints and practicing agility.
But sprinting and agility practice doesn’t mark the end of the practice for the team — rather, it’s just the start.
“I’m a goalie and we have some time with our goalie coach to do some footwork and technical skills,” McMahon told The Michigan Daily. “ … Then we will do some shooting drills and some small-sided games and usually end with a 11v11 scrimmage.”
Despite the consistent routine, not every practice looks the same for the team.
“Each day, it’s kind of different,” McMahon said. “ … We’re basically practicing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 7:30 to 11. And then Wednesday, we only have lift which is 9:30 to 10:30.”
After finishing up her Tuesday practice that ends at 11:00 a.m., McMahon rushes home where she lives with her teammates Emmy Tran and Alana Richardson, both juniors, and graduate student Isabella Palde. She may have finished her work on the field for the day, but her work in the classroom hasn’t even begun.
At home, she has to quickly shower and get ready for her first class at 11:30 a.m. in the Chemistry Building. As a statistics major, she’s enrolled in two statistics classes this semester beginning her academic day with STATS 413: Applied Regression Analysis.
Once STATS 413 ends at 12:50 p.m., McMahon immediately walks to Mason Hall for her 1:00 p.m. class, MIDEAST 203: Sports and Games in the Middle East, which is also her last class of the day. This class is largely made up of athletes, including two of her teammates, seniors Lindsey Stagg and Erin Reilly. Having teammates in class has its advantages, as shown when Stagg brought McMahon a coffee from Playa Bowls before class started.
After she finishes class on Tuesdays, she heads to get lunch, typically with Stagg. On this particular day, she opted for Bodega Bros, where she ordered her usual Buffalo Bill panini on hero bread. On some days, she decides to have a chicken parm sandwich to switch it up.
Tuesday is McMahon’s busiest day with back-to-back-to-back practice and class with little time to relax. However, on days when she doesn’t have class at 11:30 a.m., she gets a little break.
“I like to get a coffee at (Argus Farm Stop) at the end of my road some days,” McMahon said. “ … On Monday, Wednesday, I don’t have class until later in the afternoon, so I can take my time. Do some recovery. Go get a coffee at Dunkin Donuts because I’m from Massachusetts.”
After lunch, she drives back home where she is greeted by her roommates, ready for a game of Spicy Uno. With each card played, the game takes unexpected turns until the winner earns the right to sign the winning card. Everyone, even student athletes, has some time to relax and unwind in their day. But for student athletes, this time is scarce and they take advantage of it whenever they have the chance.
But studying and excelling at academics is always important, and it soon calls her once again. The student part of student-athlete is just as important as the athlete part, and McMahon understands that. Making sure her academics are a priority, McMahon attended statistics office hours — where she is a regular — from 5 to 6 p.m. to ensure that she can get the best grades possible on her assignments. That hard work in the classroom pays off as she was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar last academic year and received an Academic All-Big Ten honor in 2023 for her academic excellence.
At the end of office hours, McMahon, a self-proclaimed foodie, went back to her house where she ate leftovers for dinner.
“I’m a big foodie,” McMahon said. “And (I) love to make chicken and rice for dinner because growing up my family had chicken and rice every night.”
After dinner it’s right back to work, prioritizing her academics by completing her homework.
Often more than other students, many student-athletes have to make sacrifices and limit the time they spend on their hobbies in order to ensure academic and athletic success. But McMahon can still find ways to relax, ending her night working on homework and watching Game of Thrones with her roommates, which they are currently binge watching. However, every night looks different for her.
Remaining committed on the field while being devoted in the classroom is already a tedious juggling act. It’s certainly stressful, and that’s why McMahon makes sure she gets to do fun things she wants to do, outside of field hockey and academics.
“On nights that I’m not doing homework until the late hours I love to grab dinner with friends, play card games with my roommates or backyard games like spikeball, sit outside and soak up the sun on our blue chairs,” McMahon explained. “In the off-season I love to go to the IM building with my friends on the Michigan women’s basketball team and play pick up against boys which is a great workout and a lot of fun since I played basketball since I was three and all through high school.”
Some nights she’ll even coach field hockey for local clubs or attend other sporting events on campus to cheer on her friends.
With each day, even in the offseason, McMahon embodies the true essence of a student-athlete, working towards excelling both on the field and in the classroom. From before sun up until after sun down, McMahon is working tirelessly to be the best version of herself that she can be.
