Division I athletics are the most prestigious athletic programs there are for college athletes. They have the most dedicated, talented, and skilled athletes. These athletes typically put years and years of hard work into their sports to reach a Division I position, but that is not the case for everyone.
Senior Sarah Doble will be attending Kansas State University this fall to participate in a D-I sport that she has never played before. The K-State Cats recruited Doble for the rowing team.
Despite being new to the sport, Doble is not new to the athletic world; she has played sports for the majority of her life. Participating in multiple sports growing up. In high school, she played basketball, tennis and was a football manager. Kansas State has recognized her for the hard work within these sports and her 6’1” height.
“I believe that Sarah is well-positioned, and her time as a tennis player, a basketball player. All of this will kind of come together to give her opportunities for success in the crew,” basketball coach Jon Swanson said.
Playing these sports throughout her life has taught her many valuable lessons to take into rowing. Not only that, but she enjoys competing and being part of the athletic world.
“I think rowing is a good fit for me because it’s something that I can do to stay in athletics, stay competing, which I love to do. And I think it’s just something new,” Doble said.
A flyer about the Kansas State rowing team was sent to her in her junior year. She didn’t think about it at first. The next year rolled around, and she received another flyer. Shortly after, she made it to Manhattan, Kansas.
“I visited K State, and I fell in love with it, and I liked the campus and everything, and I really liked the coaches, so that’s why I was like, maybe I actually do, explore this idea, and keep in contact and see where it takes me,” Doble said.
The excitement is most definitely there for Doble and all her fans behind her, but she also has nerves filling her as well. Going to a new state, with new people and playing a new sport, can come off as intimidating.
“I think it’s nerve-racking because I don’t know what to expect,” Doble said. “I could go down there and literally hate rowing a boat. But also, it’s just exciting because I could go down there and love rowing a boat.”
The nerves are going to be there, but with the nerves, there will be push, perseverance and a whole town of support. There is no doubt that Doble will work towards success and likely be led to it.
“She has friends. She is good to people, and people are good to her. So my advice is that she, as she takes all these different experiences in her life, to kind of just follow what she wants to do, and she’s going to have multiple successes, because she has opened herself up to many opportunities, which will only help develop those strengths and interests to do whatever she may dream,” Swanson said.
