Written by Shamira James:
There’s one thing we can all agree on as Roanoke College students – we’re all busy as heck. Whether it’s social clubs, on campus jobs or just simply trying to keep our grades up we’re all no strangers an active life. Student athletes know this busy life all too well, not only do they have the responsibilities of your average RC student but they also have all the hard work and time dedication it takes to be a part of *Elijah Wilhelm voice* your Roanoke College Maroons.
Though Eli Sumpter, an RC senior and two-sport athlete, would presumably get overwhelmed with everything on his plate, Sumpter says “it gets hectic sometimes with baseball and basketball, but I enjoy every minute of it.” It does leave everyone to wonder how does one actually balance everything that comes their way in college like classwork, extracurriculars and a social life. While sometimes it is a little straining, Eli says he “always has time for friends, and just works a little harder to make time for homework” and in an ideal world where he had a weekend to himself, he would enjoy nothing more than down time with the boys and relaxing.
As basketball team captain, Eli has been endowed with a leadership role of the team and is able to see areas of great strength and also areas that may need a little more improvement. Sumpter says “we are a young team but we’ve have shown a lot of promise, the biggest thing is stay focused and stay on track”. Being the team captain also means a lot of self-reflection, Eli remembers his freshman year on the court, and since then his biggest improvement has just been maturing with the team and the game itself: “As a senior I can kind of guide people the right direction and keep everything positive”. This seems to be a very crucial role with a team of 16 players, 9 of which are freshman, but Eli is hopeful for the season and has this advice for the freshman: “Don’t get discouraged because it is a big adjustment. You’re all shaping up, working hard and showing a lot of improvement.”
Having been here for four years, Eli has some preferences on professors, commons food and other RC related things. Being a business major, Sumpter has had mostly all professors from that department, but says that hands-down Dr. Hagadorn is his favorite. While he misses out on some meals in Commons because of his busy schedule, he was definitely in favor of the Thanksgiving meal, the locally grown meal, and the true classic General’s Chicken.
When it’s all said and done, Eli will be graduating in May and returning to his home in Charlottesville, VA where he’s most looking forward to having more free time where he can spend time with his family and have some much deserved down time. Check the Roanoke Maroons website to find out when Eli and the entire star-studded team are playing next!
