Michaela Singer is a triple-threat at Wilson College
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Balancing three sports while being a college student is no easy task. But Michaela Singer manages to do just that, as a guard in basketball, a forward in field hockey, and a midfielder in lacrosse, all while finishing her degree as a fifth year senior at Wilson College.
Singer grew up in Annville, PA, with her parents and two brothers. She went to Annville Cleona High School, which she and other attendees fondly refer to as “The Barn” as the building’s unique structure resembles one. Coming from a small town, she admits to having reservations in attending a larger university, and so, Wilson College appealed to her. While she was accepted to a Division I school with her preferred degree, it would’ve meant she had to focus on one sport, when Singer was interested in doing multiple. As Wilson College is a Division III, attending meant she could fulfill that interest.
“It was the right decision for me, and has afforded me the ultimate student-athlete experience,” Singer said.
Through her Wilson journey, she started as an Exercise Science major before switching to Health and Physical Education. But before the start of her senior year, Wilson College announced the addition of a major Singer originally wanted to pursue before starting college: Sports Management. So she then shifted her focus to that degree with a minor in Coaching.
As for how she ended up involved in all three sports, that journey starts way before college for two of them. Growing up, basketball came naturally to Singer. She started by playing one-on-one with her younger brother, to then moving on to leagues in her community, local travel leagues, and Amateur Athletic Union teams. While basketball was her start, field hockey began in 7th grade for her; her mother playing the sport in high school made Singer interested in trying it herself. There were some setbacks in her field hockey career as she went into high school, but her mother encouraged her to keep going, which ended up being a good thing. In 2017, Singer achieved the record of Most Career Goals in two seasons at her high school. This inspired her to keep going with field hockey into college.
Lacrosse then came about because Wilson College decided to bring the sport back. The lacrosse coach saw Singer play in a field hockey game, and approached her to see if she’d be interested in joining the new team. “I thought it would be a fun opportunity to learn a new sport. Once I started practices, I realized there were a lot of similarities between lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball. Having experience in the other sports allowed me to quickly understand the rules of the game,” Singer explains. The team was very encouraging to her, and she’s found a love for the sport. They finished their first comeback season as the runner-up in their conference, and she looks forward to continuing this spring.
Singer has many career aspirations after college; the ultimate one being a Collegiate Athletic Director. She’s very passionate about coaching a team of her own. Singer has learned valuable lessons that she wants to pass on, and be a positive role model for future female athletes. This is inspired by a woman she thinks of for International Women’s Day on March 8, her grandmother Delores. She passed away from cancer in 2006, but “Nana” was one of Singer’s biggest motivators, and before each game, Singer blows a kiss up to the sky because she knows her grandmother is watching over her as she competes.
“She was an amazing warrior in her battle, and she inspires me to fight every day until the last breath,” Singer said.
For anyone considering being an athlete, Singer advises grabbing every opportunity you are presented with; soak it all in so that you don’t look back with regret, and continue to enhance performance skills by identifying personal weaknesses and changing them into strengths. Don’t hold back, and also be aware of the sacrifices you’ll have to make to participate. Singer does her best to help out upcoming athletes at Wilson College, as she is a member of Student Athlete Mentor (SAM) and Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SACC). In SAM, she sponsors an incoming freshman athlete, guiding them through balancing sports and studies during their first year at Wilson. Her role in SACC involves serving as a liaison between the college and student athletes.
“For me, it has been an incredible and rewarding experience with valuable lessons learned along the way. There is no greater achievement than the feeling I have each time I step on to the field or the court with my teammates and hearing the whistle blow to begin the competition,” Singer said.
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