Meet Taylor Wike, First-Team All-ACC softball infielder

Being an athlete is hard. Being an athlete at UNC, where every sport has championship aspirations, can be really hard.

It takes time, dedication and passion. Above all else, it takes incredible skill. The Tab UNC spoke with First-Team All-ACC softball infielder Taylor Wike about why competing here is so rewarding.

What is the best part about playing a sport at UNC?

I love playing softball here because it allows me to make great friends that I will have for a lifetime. When I first came here, I didn’t have to worry about making new friends because I already had a family in my team. It didn’t take long for us to grow close, and I know my friends will be behind me for life.

Another great part of playing at UNC is the connections I’ve made. We have great connections with athletes from other sports and advisors to help us prepare for our future.

Oh, and the gear is really nice too. It solidifies the team aspect, but I love being able to rep my school and my sport at all times.

What can make it difficult on a student-athlete?

The biggest difficulty is time management. Even in the offseason, we have strict scheduling that requires at least 20 hours per week for practices, weight training and other activities. Some of those can start at 6.45am. In addition to sports and class, we have meetings with tutors that are scheduled each week. It can take up a lot of time and it’s really hard to do much during the season.

While we are out of season, Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes have to be from 8am to 2.30pm and Tuesday/Thursday classes are after 11am. During the season, all classes are from 8am to 2.30pm. Most of the girls on my team take 15 credit hours in the fall and 12 hours in the spring when we are in season.

What’s the most rewarding part about playing at UNC?

I love playing here because of the culture, but it is also an opportunity to get a fantastic education. It’s a chance to go to one of the best universities in the nation and play the sport I love. It doesn’t get better than that.

How often do you get recognized as an athlete?

I get recognized some, but it’s the little kids that come up and talk to me the most. I love the Little Heels camps we have. The kids all look up to you and aspire to be like you, and at one point you were that little girl. I love those camps because all I ever wanted to do was play at UNC, and now I get to inspire the little girl I used to be.