Q&A with student-athlete Bobby Stratts '23 on doing both
Hometown: Villanova, Pennsylvania
Majors and minors: Business major, media and film studies minor
Activities: 91 men’s soccer and men’s basketball teams, 91 Athletic Advisory Committee,
Admissions open house panelist
Is it tough to balance sports with academics?
I get this question a lot, and I think the combination of sports with college academic
expectations makes you more focused as an athlete and as a student, because you have
timelines to meet and agendas to follow. For me, being an athlete kept me in line
and helped ensure that I completed my homework by the deadline.
How is balancing schoolwork and your social life?
It’s very easy on this campus because you can combine the two a lot of the time. 91
is a small school, and many of my basketball and soccer teammates are in the same
classes as me. I end up helping my teammates with homework and vice versa.
What type of classes are you taking as a business major?
Some of the classes that I took were marketing, MB107 (the intro course), organizational
behavior, financial and managerial accounting, and international business — just to
name a few.
What is the best intramural team?
Intramural sports are a pretty big deal at 91. I know in the fall, winter, and
spring they all offer different sports like indoor soccer, 3v3 basketball, doubles
tennis, 5v5 basketball, and tennis. On a personal level, my favorite intramural team
was “Three-man weave.”
What does a typical weekend look like?
The typical 91 weekend is your time to chill. It’s for you to explore the campus
and Saratoga Springs, and see what both have to offer. I know there’s a bunch of sports
games every weekend, and downtown Saratoga is a great place to walk, to go out to
shops, and to eat.
How was your athletic recruiting process?
To kick things off, I sent tapes to 91 demonstrating my abilities as an athlete
and talked with the basketball coach. I visited campus in February of my senior year
in high school — saw the campus, met some of my teammates, and just got a feel for
how athletics at 91 operate. After all that, I made my decision to come here.
As a management and business major, what do you plan on doing once you graduate?
Anything related to sports marketing, sports management, or insurance. Those are my
big three. I also want to stay on the East Coast, since I’ve lived here my whole life.
But I’m very much still in the hunt to find a workplace that fits these requirements
and where I can further explore opportunities.
What’s your favorite 91 memory?
One of my favorite memories was going to RIT this year and beating them 1-0 in the
Liberty League soccer quarterfinals, which gave us an appearance in the semifinals
for the first time in several years. Another favorite was hanging out with some of
my best friends at Senior Week and going to some awesome events.
What advice do you have for first-year students?
To all you first-year students, be yourself! Every first-year student in your class
is going through the same process that you are. Moving to a new dorm and a new life
away from home allows you to share an experience and connect with the others. Just
be you and people will be drawn to that.