Colin McClure ‘20 might not be the most outspoken person in the locker room, but for the Skidmore Men’s Lacrosse team, his presence as team captain — both on and off the field —is the epitome of what it means to lead by example.
Growing up in Long Meadow, Massachusetts, McClure played for local teams as a defensive midfielder throughout his childhood. As he got older, it became more challenging for him to get noticed by colleges due to the lack of attention paid to his position. As McClure says, “You don’t score goals, you’re not in any headlines … it’s hard to be recruited in that position.” Eventually, McClure found Skidmore and never looked back.
What stands out when looking at McClure is his dedication to academics, both for himself as well as his teammates. As a pre-med student and a biochemistry major, McClure spends a majority of time away from the field, focusing on his studies. McClure mentions how much time and energy he puts into his schoolwork, saying, “I take pride in my academics. I spend a lot of time on the 3rd floor of the library.”
But his focus is not solely on himself, it’s on the rest of the team as well. McClure spreads this passion through his locker room banter with teammates, saying, “When I see guys in the locker room, I’ll ask them, ‘what did you learn today?’ I’ll just harp on them until they tell me something.”
McClure’s motivation to succeed off the field stems from his desire to go to medical school. The competitive nature of the application process for medical school has kept him focused on the big-picture goals he sets for himself.
“Coming here, I knew I had to put my best foot forward,” he says. McClure also mentions his family as a big motivator in his academic pursuits. He recognizes how much he owes his opportunities to them, specifically his parents: “I definitely owe it to them to do the best that I can and not waste the opportunity I have here at Skidmore.”
As McClure explains his day-to-day life during the season, the challenge of finding time to finish work becomes apparent — the flow of his day doesn’t leave many opportunities. After getting up at 7 a.m., McClure goes to the research lab where he studies protein-protein interactions. After that, he goes to class and then lab, with perhaps another class or two right after. On days with early practices, McClure usually goes from his last class of the day to the sports center soon after.
“On most days, I start doing homework at around 8:30 p.m. once I get to the library.” McClure makes sure this is not an obstacle, however, as he emphasizes the hard work required to be successful with his studies: “If it just means spending a few more hours in the library, it's just something you have to do to get the job done.”
McClure’s lead-by-example approach is apparent not only with his class preparation, but also his game day preparation. He lays out what a typical game day looks like for him: “I get to the athletic center a few hours before the game, I stretch, watch some of the opponent’s film, read the scouting report, and get mentally prepared for the challenge ahead.”
Much like his position on the field as defensive midfielder, he doesn’t require or necessarily cherish the spotlight, but yet it finds him because of his actions, not his words: “I don’t get much of the glory, but as long as we’re winning that’s all I care about.”
For the upcoming season, McClure hopes to end his collegiate career with a playoff bid and make a run at the Liberty League Championship. When he’s pressed about what he would tell his younger self or any other student athlete that doesn’t think they can find the balance between schoolwork and their team, he would tell those people to “Don’t ever doubt yourself, you have the ability to do whatever you want.”