Preston Hammerschmidt
Year in School: 5th-year senior Major: Historical Studies with an education emphasis Years Playing Rugby: 13 years
Position in Rugby: Wing
Why did you choose your school?
I wanted to challenge myself rugby-wise. The school/class sizes were perfect, as well as the type of area the school was located in.
What was your process of being recruited? It has been a while, but I recall putting my name in a recruitment form. I got in contact with the coach and came for two visits. What are your favorite parts about being a member of the rugby program? I love the professionalism of it all; it makes everyone better and allows it to feel like a job. I also love the culture that is engrained in the team. What are your favorite parts about being a student at your school? The teachers care about their student's education and work hard to help their students succeed. Every professor is different; however, the majority are there to help their students strive to be great.
How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? I found early on that setting time before and after practice to just reset is beneficial. This buffer allows me to separate class from practice and, thus, change my mindset. Now that my coursework has gotten more rigorous, I'm finding the use of a Calendar to be extremely useful. This allows me to see the different aspects of school and practice and work a schedule. So really, it's all about time management and making sure any part of my life at school isn’t too overwhelming because it bleeds over into everything else. What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? Usually, I get up around 6:30 and head to my job as a landscaper. After work, I eat breakfast or lunch, depending on the day then prepare for class. After class, I relax for an hour or so before training. When training is over, I head home and shower. Around 6, I go eat dinner and then come home to do some schoolwork. Once I am done with that, I'll either go relax with my roommates or go to bed.
What’s the biggest challenge about playing rugby at your school? The biggest challenge is how deep in skill everyone is. Everyone is so good that it makes every week a challenge to break through. It can be mentally tough should you get into a rut of on the depth chart, but I find picking one flaw to focus on helps to break this.
Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? On campus, I am not involved in too much else. Our team is so diverse and large that you can bounce around from group to group and have so many different experiences. My time at school is packed with rugby, academics, my social life, and work. I find this is enough for me.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with a high school player who is interested in your school? If you want to play at Lindenwood, I would say two things. First, be ready for a challenge and really look forward to it to that challenge; it’s my favorite part. Second, this is by far the best group of people you will ever know. I have yet to learn everything about everyone and have millions of memories.
School Website: https://www.lindenwood.edu/ Rugby Team Website: Lindenwood University Men's Rugby
Head Coach Josh Macy, jmacy@lindenwood.edu