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Spartans of UD - Ben Farraday

By University Relations Staff
Spartans of UD - Ben Farraday

Spartans of UD highlights what makes the University of Dubuque special - the people.

Ben Farraday, of Wheaton, Illinois, is a junior sport marketing and management major. He plays the position of attacker on the men's lacrosse team.

What drew you to the game of lacrosse?

"I was drawn to the game of lacrosse by the creativity and the flow of the sport. The creativity that lacrosse allows you to do is crazy. There are so many different moves and dodges that you can do to run pass your defender and score or how you can stop someone from dodging and scoring a goal. Also, the flow of the lacrosse is similar to hockey and soccer. Lacrosse is as physical and fast-paced as hockey and is played on a field similar to soccer."

Lacrosse is a relatively new sport in the Midwest. How have you helped promote the sport on campus?

"One way I promote the sport is by posting on social media whenever we have a game, so people know that there is a lacrosse game that day. Also, when it's game day I'll wear my lacrosse apparel around campus and tell people in my class that we have a game."

What have you learned from your time as a Spartan student-athlete?

"One thing that I learned from being a student-athlete is how much time and effort people put in to their sports. Being a student-athlete is not the easiest thing at any division level. You have to go to class and do homework and then you have practice all in one day. After my freshman year I started to respect other student-athletes because of all the time and effort they put in to their sport. But if you are able to keep up with your school work and go to practice, you will be just fine and will have great college experience."

Your older sister played varsity in volleyball. Did that have an impact on why you chose to attend UD?

"My sister did have an impact on why I chose UD. When I was still in high school, I would always travel with my parents to come watch my sister play volleyball here at UD and I would walk around the campus and explore. This helped me because I felt comfortable on this campus and I knew where I was going. When I was a freshman here on campus, I had an advantage because I knew what all the buildings were and knew my way around campus. Also, being a freshman and being at a new school can being terrifying and it was nice know that my sister was here to help me through my first year."

What advice do you have for other student-athletes?

"One piece of advice that I have for other student-athletes is to prioritize your time. Having this skill will help you be able to focus on school and your sport. Being able to prioritize your time will help you stay organized and keep up with your school work so you don't fall behind. This skill is hard to learn, but one way I keep track of my time is by writing down on a calendar what I'm going to accomplish every day and what assignments I need to turn in."