Get to Know Your Raiders: Sarah Brotzman

A Resident Assistant in Mowrey Hall, intern in the Women’s Center and thrower on the women’s track & field team, senior Sarah Brotzman certainly has a lot on her plate.

But Brotzman has managed to excel both on and off the field during her career at Shippensburg.

A native of McAlisterville, Brotzman placed fourth in the weight throw and eighth in the shot put at last year’s PSAC Indoor Championships. An art major while seeking a graphic design certificate, she was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team last season.

As a sophomore in 2010, Brotzman placed second in the discus at the PSAC Outdoor Championships, and after a year studying abroad in South Korea during the 2010-11 school year, she performed even better at last year’s outdoor meet. Brotzman won the discus and finished runner-up in the hammer throw.

Get to know Sarah Brotzman…

What is your favorite pre-meet ritual?

I don't have any superstitions that I have to do in order to believe that I will throw well, but I have several traditions that I do when going into a meet. I always wear socks that don't match and there always has to be a pink ribbon in my hair, because in high school, I had classmates say that if you were a thrower you were very manly and I want to show that I can still be feminine and be a strong competitor. When we’re about 30 minutes from arriving at our meet, I listen to three songs that encourage and mentally prepare me for performing well: “Anthem” by SuperChick, “Unbreakable” by Fireflight and “Free” by Ginny Owens. But the most important and meaningful tradition is calling my mom and dad and having them pray with me to not only perform my best that day, but remember that I am performing for an audience of One and that it truly doesn't matter how I do because He is in control.

What part of Shippensburg, either the campus or the town, do you most enjoy?

Being a Resident Assistant, one of my favorite places to be is in my room and hanging out in my hallway in Mowrey Hall with my residents. A very close second is the discus/hammer circle in the throwing area. I not only enjoy competing and practicing there, but I also love going and sitting there at sunset when I am having a hard day, being quiet and watching as the sun takes a rest from the day.

What is the best class you've taken at Shippensburg?

By far it’s my Digital Fine Art Printing class with professor William Whiteley from the Art & Design Department. The whole class is designed to focus on capturing, editing, developing and printing high-end images on archival paper. As an individual that loves being behind a camera, this class has allowed me to grow and turn my hobby of photography into a talent of capturing digital imagery.

If you weren't majoring in art, what would your major be?

If I had to choose it would be Event Management and Hospitality. There are only a few schools in the country that offer this as a major, but it would help me develop knowledge for another passion of mine which is wedding photography and wedding planning.

What is your favorite day of the week, and why?

Sundays, by far. They are a day of rest for me and just a day to take the focus off of academics, athletics and all of the other groups and activities that I am involved in and focus on God, who is in control.

Which are your favorite PSAC schools to compete against, and why?

The other women throwers in the PSAC are spectacular individuals. We compete against each other but we also cheer for each other and are there for each other when someone is having a bad day. We compete like rivals, but we also bond like sisters do. The schools that I most enjoy competing against are Lock Haven, Kutztown and Millersville. The women on those teams have so much talent and ability, but also their personalities are just a joy to be around. When I go to a meet knowing that they will all be there, my energy is much more positive, and my excitement for the weekend is much higher.

If we asked your teammates to say a few words about you, what do you think they would say?

I would hope that they see the passion I have for the sport and my dedication not only to our events in the field, but also to the individuals on the team and my academics here at Ship. I would also hope that they would see me as a leader, but know that in being a leader I want to be there for my teammates and be their fan as they continue to learn the techniques and skills needed to be a thrower, and be their support through any difficulties they may face and to rejoice with them through every triumph.

Which individual athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

By far my favorite accomplishments happened last year at the PSAC Outdoor Championships. Not only did I place first in the discus and second in the hammer, but I also hit NCAA provisional marks that qualified me to as the first Academic All-American in my throwing coach's career here at Shippensburg.

What's the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?

Time management. Being someone who is busy all the time, I have to over-organize my schedule to fit it all in. Not only am I a Dean's List student, an athlete and a Resident Assistant, this past semester I was also an intern for the Women's Center and also for the Women and Gender Studies Minor, plus I was involved with three other organizations to help make their programs a success. Without knowing how to manage my time, nothing would ever get done and I would be letting down many groups of people.

                                
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being a student-athlete?

Time management and considering the needs of others first (still learning that one).

What piece of advice stays with you at all times?

Push yourself to your limits and to achieve your goals, but the most fulfilling way to do that is with your teammates supporting you through it all.

If you could talk to children who are just beginning to show an interest in throwing, what would you tell them they should focus on?

Mental preparation and focus. My coach in high school and my current club coach, Troy Hess, ingrained this into my training during every practice and every meet. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how talented you are or what your PRs and achievements are, if you are not focused and "in the zone," more than likely your performance will be very poor. No matter how far you throw, it still won’t be enough, and the negativity will slowly creep in and corrupt your daily performances.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind for future athletes at Shippensburg?

That although throwing is an individual performance, I am competing against myself every day and want to do my best because track & field is also a team sport and when one member struggles, the team is not complete. I would like to be known as a servant leader who not only looked after my needs and my performance, but also tried to help and encourage my teammates to do their best and meet their goals in being the better thrower/runner/jumper that they personally can be.