Dear Next Wave - Tyler Heinrichs - Tulane University Athletics

Dear Next Wave:

I want you to take a moment to think about what it took to get you here and all the sacrifices you made to get to where you are right now. Trust me, I know what you're feeling because I was at the very same point you were when entering college. You think about starting back at the bottom after working your way to the top in high school and beginning all over again to get to where you want to be.

The good news is that if there is one thing I can assure you of, it's that when I got here to Tulane it was almost as if there was just enough of an opening in the door to walk though and really become a part of a bigger team and bigger campus community. You think that because you're a freshman you're going to get teased and ragged on, and that's simply not the case. And for me, I had a group of upperclassmen on the team to help me along and answer any and all questions I may have had about classes or handling the rigors of being a student and an athlete.

Now, the first couple of months on campus is a bit crazy. When I got here, going through the early morning workouts, making it to class and going through the rigors of fall ball, there are times when you don't think you're going to make it. It seems like everything you thought you knew about juggling all your responsibilities gets turned up to the hardest level. But really, it's preparing you for how to manage your time to the fullest and adapting to the rigors of being in college.

Another big thing about those first few months, make sure to take advantage of the break you get from the end of finals until the start of the next semester. I got to go home, and it was a nice chance to catch my breath and go into the next semester already prepared from the first day to set my goals on what I wanted to do in the second half of the year.

Little did I know that it was also helping me on the field as well. From the time we stepped back on campus as a team for the start of the spring and regular season, my mind was already prepared to put in the work for what we wanted to accomplish as a team and reaching our goals collectively. And again, it was a credit to the upperclassmen who helped prepare me for what was to come when we were in season.

While it's different for most people, believe me, once you get past that first year and on you will start to feel like you've gotten things under control. For me, coming back to campus to start my second year with the team in the spring of my sophomore year was the time where I felt like I knew what was expected of me both on the field and in the classroom. I was starting to get accustomed to playing the sport I loved on the highest stage, while also being in classes that were going toward my major that I was very interested in.

It's amazing how just getting that extra bit of knowledge can go a long way to helping you feel like all the anxiety and unease you felt when you first made it to campus has all but dissipated, and you are well on your way to making these years count.

It's interesting being here at this point and imparting the things I've learned now as a senior. To see the guys on our team, as well as myself, change and grow has been amazing. And for me, it's not the fact that as a senior that I'm seen as a "leader" or anything, it's that I have the ability to help the freshmen now because I've seen the things that they've gone through and having been through those same things when I was in their shoes.

I've been here for a while, and it's been really cool to see how our team has evolved from when I started to where we are today. We're a very close-knit group of guys because we went from having a very upperclassmen-laden team to one that grew and transformed as we all did to get to now. We won a lot of games this year and a lot of it was due to us growing into the group we are today.

So, next wave, this is where I leave you the best piece of advice that I've been given, and one that I will continue to use no matter where I go after this: You have to put in the work if you want to be successful. It's as simple as that. Whether its working toward being at the top of your graduating class, or later in life when you're aiming for a promotion in your job, the work you put in will be the reward you get out of it.

When I first started playing baseball, I knew I wanted to be the best player that I could and the only way to do that was through putting in the extra work before and after practice and games. Through that effort, along with being open to taking in as much knowledge as I could, I was able to compete on the highest level of college sports and attain a degree that will help me achieve the future goals I have for myself.

One day, you'll be in the very same shoes as I am right now. Always remember that there will be somebody coming behind you that will need the same help as we all did when we got here.

Good luck, and Roll Wave.

Tyler Heinrichs

Dear Next Wave - Tyler Heinrichs

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Tyler Heinrichs

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Tulane University Athletics