For Dellacono, time management became critical during transition to Div. I Brown
Editor's note: Stonington High School's Gabriella Dellacono, a freshman women's tennis player at Brown University, saw her season abruptly end in March when spring sports were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the seventh of a periodical series of essays written by local college student-athletes who suffered similar fates, Dellacono expresses her thoughts on the situation.
By GABRIELLA DELLACONO
The girls on my team were all extremely solid and talented. I improved throughout my freshman year because of the many hours I spent on the court with my teammates and coaches. We all pushed each other to do our best on and off the court. I faced tough competition in college because we played many incredible teams. We even traveled to Texas and played against the University of Texas.
It was a great experience and it was great playing against the highest level in the country. I knew coming into Brown, I would have to be ready for this type of play.
Before Brown, I was traveling all over the country to play nationals and practice with collegiate-level tennis players. I would rarely miss a day of practice or workouts because I wanted to be at the best of my ability once I got to Brown.
However, a few weeks before I arrived at Brown, I had knee surgery. I was determined to get back on the court and had a fast recovery with the help of the trainers. Soon enough I was playing matches alongside my teammates and contributing to the scoreboard.
It took a lot of effort to have a full recovery because I had to find time for physical therapy while having tennis practice, class, workouts, meetings and study groups. If I was not on the tennis court or in the cafeteria, I was on the silent floor of the library. I spent many hours in the library studying for exams, weeks in advance because my tennis schedule was very intense.
It was a huge transition from high school because I had never had to time manage as much as I do now. Time is so critical for my schedule especially when it comes to sleep. I tried as much as I could to get a full night of rest because a couple of days a week I had to wake up at 5:40 a.m. for early-morning practice. Once practice was over around 8:30 a.m., I would run to the cafeteria and be on my way to class.
My classes at Brown varied from big to small. I had one class that only had 15 people and another that had 300. I enjoy the combinations of class size because it helps to see in which environment I can learn best. The professors were amazing and very accommodating when it came to office hours and answering questions. Some utilized websites where students could ask questions anonymously whenever they felt confused about the information we discussed in class.
I am taking a variety of classes, but most of them revolve around science. I am going on the path of the health fields, possibly pre-med or public health. I like the idea of helping others because I grew up watching my father (Dr. Frank Dellacono, an ear, nose and throat specialist) take care of others.
In my junior year of high school, I held a fundraiser called “Gabby's
Match.” I raised $10,000 for Athletes Vs. Epilepsy foundation. Through this fundraiser, I wanted to use my story to inspire other athletes or anyone who has struggled with epilepsy. At the time I was epilepsy-free for four years and wanted others to see that I fought through it and still accomplished my dreams of playing for a top athletic and academic college.
Unfortunately, throughout my freshman year at Brown, I had a couple of setbacks. I relapsed and had a few seizures during important times. However, I did not let this affect my classwork or tennis. I continued to participate in practice and matches to the best of my ability. I kept pushing myself every day and did not let my epilepsy prevent me from achieving my goals.
Our season was then cut short, another setback to my freshman year. Our spring trip was canceled. My team and I were supposed to travel to California for spring break and play a bunch of competitive teams. We were sent home two weeks before our California trip.
I already miss my coaches and teammates so much because we all have a tight bond. It was a sad way to end my freshman year but I met so many great people and will miss my senior friends, especially our team captain Devon Jack. I can not wait until the fall to be reunited with my team and train for the season.