Meet this week’s Campus Celebrity, Nicole Flyer! Nicole is a junior from Los Angeles, CA, studying Communications. She is a student athlete who began her career here on the Women’s Rowing Team and is now a member of the Women’s Basketball team.
Her Campus: What was the biggest change going from rowing to basketball?
Nicole Flyer: I would say going from a team where I had about 50 teammates to a team with only 12 teammates was the biggest change for me. We also have a lot more games in our season than rowing. Right now we’ll have around 2 or 3 games a week and it’s been so exciting getting to travel all around and compete against some of the top teams in the country.
HC: What’s your favorite part about being on the team?
NF: Just getting back on the court has been an incredible experience for me. I’ve been able to rediscover my love of basketball. Everyday I’m just exited and grateful to be with the team. Both my teammates and coaches have been extremely supportive in my transition, which has made me feel welcome since day one.
HC: What’s the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?
NF: TIME MANAGEMENT. I think any student-athlete would agree that it can be hard at times to balance your time between things like practice, games, school work, watching film, and socializing. There are a lot of times when I get home from practice and just want to go straight to bed but instead I’ll make myself go to the library and study. In this way, I feel like being a student-athlete teaches you how to manage time efficiently so you can fit all these things into your schedule, which is a great quality to have.
HC: What do you do in your spare time or for fun?
NF: In my spare time, I’m usually hanging out with friends, going to the movies, shopping, finding new restaurants in Ann Arbor to go to, or just relaxing and listening to music or Netflixing (currently obsessed with Friday Night Lights).
HC: What’s your favorite memory/experience you’ve had at U of M so far?
NF: I would say my favorite/most memorable experience here was attending my first football game as a freshman. I had never been to a live football game before, let alone one in the Big House, and stepping into that stadium for the first time completely blew me away. It was the first time I was able to experience the incredible school spirit of Michigan fans and I couldn’t wait to be a part of it.
HC: What’s a fun fact about yourself?
NF: My brother got me a ukulele from Fiji and I’ve been trying to teach myself how to play. Right now I’m not that good, but I love learning chords and songs like “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.