More than an Athlete: Carley Sickinger
Photo by Sydney Pressley.
Carley Sickinger is one of many busy student-athletes on campus; however, Sickinger is not balancing her sport with just any major but with one of the most challenging majors offered at Lee — nursing.
Sickinger chose to continue her athletic career in women’s tennis because of Lee’s welcoming environment and genuine people.
“When I got on campus, I just instantly loved the atmosphere. Here, I felt like people genuinely cared and wanted to get to know me,” said Sickinger.
Photo courtesy of Lady Flames.
“When she came to visit Lee with her mom and aunt, we hit it off immediately,” said Patric Hynes, head coach of the Lee tennis teams. “It was obvious that she would fit in really well with the rest of the girls.”
Sickinger has made steady improvements on the court in her two full seasons as a Flame. Last season, she was named to the All-GSC Second Team, an excellent achievement for any player, let alone a sophomore. She has also found plenty of success as a doubles player.
“Carley has had a great impact on the team,” said teammate Lauren Good. “Not only is she an incredible individual player, she is also an amazing team player. She always wants what is best for the girls and will do anything for us. We all know that we can always count on Carley.”
Sickinger’s decision of coming to Lee was not all about tennis. She has always known she wanted to become a nurse, having been encouraged by her mother. She always told Sickinger her caring personality would make her a great nurse. When it came time to choose a major, Sickinger never had a second thought.
“I never really thought of myself as doing anything else,” said Sickinger. “It’s been hard some days, but it is rewarding in the end.”
Balancing a demanding major and strenuous tennis schedule has been difficult for Sickinger, but she believes it is all worth it. Sickinger says she must rely on her time management skills to survive the busyness of her life.
“One of the qualities I admire most about Carley is her time management skills. She manages to wake up extremely early and go to clinicals all day long and then comes to practice and still has a good attitude,” said Good.
“She has done an amazing job with this, and I honestly don’t know how she does it,” said coach Hynes. “From day one, she has always been super organized.”
Carley’s determination to balance her school and sport is already paying off. Last season she was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete and made the GSC Honor Roll.
Carley’s plans are to graduate from Lee and work in intensive care for a year before seeking higher education. She hopes to end up at Duke University and then go on to be a nurse anesthetist.
In the meantime, Sickinger will continue to work hard in both her sport and studies.
“Everyone absolutely loves her,” said Hynes.”She has been a great role model for my daughter as well. It’s hard to imagine what our team would be like without her on it.”
