For many student-athletes, time management is an
essential skill to a successful four years at Haverford. William
Bannard, a junior baseball player from Richmond, Virginia, is no
exception to this rule.
“Balancing my time is definitely the hardest
overall thing about being a student athlete,” the shortstop
and third baseman remarked. “It seems like there’s just
never enough hours in the day.”
But like many other student-athletes at Haverford,
Bannard finds a way to make it work. Besides helping his team
clinch its first Centennial Conference title in Haverford history
last May, Bannard further contributes to the campus as an Honor
Council Co-Chair.
“For me the Honor Code really defines how
any community should interact in that we should show trust,
concern, and respect for one another,” Bannard said.
“I’ve come to realize that it’s not something we
think about every day, but rather a way of life.”
Outside of his commitments to the code during the
school year, Bannard spent a month at Haverford this summer as part
of his Honor Council duties. During that time he was able to work
at the Haverford baseball camp. “I’ve always loved
coaching, so getting the opportunity to work with kids on the field
was a great experience for me.”
Day-to-day at Haverford, Bannard is a mathematics
major with a minor in economics, looking forward to a potential
career in analytics. “Combining that with my baseball
background, I think it would be fascinating to work as a
statistical analyst for a Major League team.”
Bannard tabs much of his athletic success at
Haverford to head coach Dave Beccaria and assistant coaches Timmy
McLean and Nat Ballenberg: “Their constant willingness to
talk with me outside of the confines of their job really defines
what it means to be at Haverford.” Bannard also gives major
shout outs to teammates Jeremy Zoll ’12 and Nicki Miranda
’14, mentioning their motivational commitment to their sport
to better themselves and the team.
While time is something that Bannard acknowledges
as scarce, he emphasized how rewarding his commitments have been,
both athletically and personally: “I’ve mentioned how
special the bond between teammates has been for me here, but I also
think it’s amazing how strong a bond athletes across sports
have for one another. It often gets overlooked, but it means a lot
and makes a big difference.”
SAAC is the College’s student-athlete
advisory committee which discusses issues that affect the
well-being of Haverford’s student-athletes on campus and
within the Centennial Conference and the NCAA. For more
information, please check out the SAAC
website.
– Victoria Sobocinski ’13
