Anderson Talks About Athletics & Academics at JMU
7/9/2020
Faith Anderson became the first CoSIDA Academic All-American for the James Madison swimming & diving program. The two-time CAA Champion sat down to talk about her career in the pool and in the classroom at JMU.
How long have you been a diver?
I started diving full time when I was in eighth grade, but I had gone to a few diving lessons when I was younger.
Did you play other sports while growing up?
I was a competitive gymnast for eight years before I started diving.
When did you realize you could compete at the division 1 level?
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to dive in college, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year that my coaches started telling me that going D1 was a real possibility.
Why did you choose JMU?
I wasn’t very familiar with JMU when I began my college search, but within 5 minutes of stepping onto campus for my recruiting trip I knew that JMU is where I wanted to be. Everyone is genuinely happy to be at JMU and the team environment is unlike any other I have ever seen. I don’t think there is a single thing I can think of that I don’t love about JMU.
What has been your favorite memory while a part of the swim & dive team?
It’s so hard for me to choose just one memory, but I would have to say that my first CAA championships is my favorite memory. Not just winning, but the whole experience. Seeing the whole team supporting each other for something we had worked towards all year was so special. And the environment of the whole competition was so much fun.
What was it like when you found out you qualified for the 3m board finals at NCAA Zones A Championships?
Even though I had qualified for the finals in past years, it was still just as exciting to make it again this year. There are so many amazing and talented divers (including all of my teammates) at that competition and to realize that I am a serious contender in a competition like that helps me see how all my hard work has paid off.
How was the atmosphere during the finals part of the competition?
it’s different for everyone, but I find that I am more relaxed during the finals portion of the competition. I have done what I needed to do to get there, and now I just get to have fun and give it my all one more time.
How did you learn balance athletics and academics while in season?
Having a strict schedule that I had to stick to for athletics really helped me to learn time management. Knowing what my class and practice schedules are going to look like every day makes it easier for me to decide when I am going to work on homework.
Does this differ from the off-season?
The only main difference in off season is that my practice schedule is a little bit lighter, but I still try to stick to the same routine as I do when I’m in season. I’ve found that it is harder for me to be productive if I try to change up my routine.
Do you and your teammates work together to balance academics while traveling for meets?
Yes! The whole team places huge importance on our academics. You’ll always see a big group of us sitting in the lobby doing homework at our hotel. Some of the divers even do homework in between dives at long meets like NCAA Zones.
What are your career goals?
I plan to go to graduate school and earn my Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational psychology. I want to work with a firm that does consulting with different companies to help them increase productivity and employee satisfaction.
What is your favorite part about the psychology major?
There is always more to discover. We already know so much about the brain and mental processes but there’s no end to the number of new questions to explore. Psychology is also so applicable to everyday life and it’s cool to see how the different concepts are working in your own life.
Are you currently working on any major projects?
I am currently working with a psychology faculty member to develop a research project for my Honors Thesis. I hope to begin the project during the fall semester and finalize it in the spring before I graduate from JMU.
What was your reaction when you found out you were named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and the first for the JMU swim & dive program?
I was very surprised but also extremely excited. I have always prided myself on my academics, but I was so honored to be recognized on a national level. This was also surprising…Even though I am the first to receive this recognition, I have had some extremely smart and hardworking teammates to look up to.
Was this a goal of yours while at JMU?
I knew going into college that my goal was to be successful not only in athletics, but in academics as well. Being able to say that I had received recognition for my academics was very important to me.
Faith Anderson has been named to the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division I Women's At-Large Team!
— JMU Swimming&Diving (@JMUSwimDive) June 19, 2020
Anderson is the first Academic All-American in the program's history ??
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How have you been staying active during this downtime?
I love being active, so it wasn’t hard for me to find motivation during the downtime. I am finally able to start diving again, my club pool just opened back up a couple weeks ago. But besides that, I have tried to do some type of lifting and cardio every day. I have been able to do a lot of my workouts outside which makes it more enjoyable.
