Indiana University Athletics
Sara Diehl: Driven to Succeed in the Classroom
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Not only does junior Sara Diehl perform well on the court as the starting libero for the Hoosiers, she also owns a tremendous drive to succeed in the classroom. The Bloomington, Ind., product recently took time out of her busy schedule to talk to IUHOOSIERS.com about her academic success.
One of the primary requirements needed to do well as a collegiate student-athlete is the ability to balance school and sport.
As an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honoree, Diehl knows to put as much time as possible into her studies.
"Time management has definitely helped me out," Diehl said. "I try to plan out my work, but I can't always stick to my plans. I just try to cram in my studies whenever I get the chance."
Additionally, Diehl has secured the support of her entire team to remain successful in her schoolwork.
"It is always hard to balance the travel, the practice and the playing with academics, but my teammates know that I am pretty driven toward school," Diehl said. "They help me out when I am on the road. They will quiz me on the bus. I am probably one of the people with their books out the most on the road. They sometimes give me a hard time, but I have learned to take it in stride. I keep pulling out the books whenever I get the chance during a break."
The Bloomington South product also remembers how people in her past helped instill her desire to perform in the classroom from an early age.
"I went to St. Charles in Bloomington, and my eighth-grade teacher Mr. Evans really pushed us in a lot different ways as middle-schoolers to really do well," Diehl said. "He really ingrained that in my head. Even going into high school, you could see things were easier for some of the kids from St. Charles. He was a really good influence."
Furthermore, Diehl maintains ties to her past by speaking with Evans from time to time.
"I have talked to Mr. Evans a couple of times since I came to IU," Diehl said. "Not necessarily about academics, but I still enjoy hearing how St. Charles is doing, and he always likes updates."
After thriving in a nurturing, yet competitive environment at Indiana, Diehl has some advice for future Hoosiers.
"Incoming student-athletes should definitely come in expecting the best out of themselves, without expecting perfection," Diehl said. "There is an adjustment period to studying in college life. You have to figure out the way classes are taught and the way you learn. As long as you expect the best out of yourself and not perfection, you will keep your standards high."
With the fact that her undergraduate career has passed the tipping point, Diehl knows that a successful future after school awaits her. While she doesn't know exactly how that future will reveal itself, she has a pretty good idea of where she is headed.
"At this point, I do not have a career path chosen necessarily," Diehl said. "I know that I will be looking towards the business world. I also am considering majoring in finance. So, I will be working with a lot of numbers and math."
