“The Royal Way Sunday Playbook" is a method of communication used to inspire and encourage athletes from within the department on Sundays.
Erin Toburen
Most people judge a team’s ability to be successful based on the starting lineup. But, it goes far beyond the players in the game when the starting whistle blows. From the starters to the bench to the injured players, every single team member plays a specific but very important role. When every person on the team is “All In” to fulfill their role, then you have a successful team.
—Erin Toburen, Sophomore, Women’s Soccer
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Claire Eberle
Senior year is special for every athlete and I expected mine to be no di erent. Coming o of a great season and making it to the conference championship game for the third year in a row, I was training hard over the summer and focused on my goals and my team’s goals for the upcoming season. With a week and a half left before school, everything changed. While on vacation, I was rushed to the hospital for severe back pain and di culty breathing. Later that night I found out I su ered pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. I was hospitalized for four days and placed on blood thinners for three to six months.
—Claire Eberle, Senior, Women’s Lacrosse
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Brianna Lehr
As an athlete, the decisions you make determine how you perform. Do you put in the extra work? Do you give 100 percent at practice and during games? We always hear the quote, “How you practice is how you play.” But how many times do you stop and truly think about it? Have you done everything possible to help your team be successful? Part of being “All In” is working together toward a common goal and being completely dedicated to your team.
—Brianna Lehr, Sophomore, Softball
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Kyle Shafer
The opportunity to be a student-athlete at The University of Scranton is a life-changing experience and is not something to be taken lightly. As student-athletes, we are faced with the task of juggling our academics, practices, competitions, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. Although it may seem di cult now, this balancing act we are faced with will prepare us for the rest of our lives. In 2012, Forbes contributor Steve Cooper released an article “Why Wrestlers Make the Best Employees.” However, I think this should really be expanded to “Why Athletes Make the Best Employees.” The article highlights athletes’ higher levels of emotional intelligence, better teamwork skills, more accomplish- based skills, discipline, communication, stress management, interpersonal skills and self-regard in comparison to their non-athlete counterparts. As collegiate athletes, we also possess a great amount of mental and physical fortitude that allows us to thrive in high-pressure situations, all of which are extremely desirable in the workforce.
—Kyle Shafer, Sophomore, Wrestling
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Bailey Potter
I believe we can all think of a time where we have doubted ourselves, put ourselves down, underestimated ourselves, and thought we weren’t good enough. We are human; everyone has had these thoughts from time to time. As athletes, we have learned ways to cope with and overcome these negative thoughts that sneak inside the brain and turn them into positive actions. I have learned to utilize one of my favorite quotes when I am experiencing self-doubt or when I need inspiration; inspiration to finish a tough set in a practice, or make it through a long week of exams and schoolwork.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh.
—Bailey Potter, Senior, Women’s Swimming & Diving
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Randy Shemanski
Since Dave Martin announced this year’s Royal Way theme, I’ve spent some time thinking about what “All In” means to me. We’ve had some great Sunday Playbooks from student-athletes that have opened a lot of eyes to what our student-athletes go through, particularly in terms of hardships, while still remaining committed to the greater good of their teams. It’s obvious that they’re “All In.”
—Randy Shemanski, Associate Director of Athletics
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
Dave Martin
Welcome back! This is always an exciting time of year as we welcome our student-athletes to campus and jump right into our fall schedule. We are entering the third year of our Royal Way Intentional Culture e orts where we continue to connect the athletic experience to the distinctly Jesuit values of The University of Scranton. We believe that the foundational Jesuit values like magis, cura personalis, men and women for and with others, are deeply relevant to our work in athletics and our commitment to “achieving excellence with integrity.” With the completion of the Quinn Athletics Campus and the renovations that have taken place in the Long Center it is now time for us to take this to the next level! That’s why our theme for this year will be “ALL IN!”
—Dave Martin, Director of Athletics
Read the full Sunday Playbook here.
