The athletes at Wright State travel thousands of miles to represent our school. The miles they travel not only put distance between them and the classroom, but also their loved ones.
Long distance relationships are common in 2013. With the accessibility and easiness to connect with people across the world, relationships can blossom over the Internet and phone calls. That distance between couples can lead to a difficult or strained relationship.
Senior women’s soccer player Lauren Patterson was in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years before enrolling at WSU, and the distance between them changed their relationship.
“The communication aspect of our relationship looks a lot different,” Patterson said. “We have to depend on texting, phone calls and Skype. It definitely is a lot harder to communicate when you don’t get to see each other that often.”
While the time spent apart from each other is not easy, Patterson says there is a blessing in disguise to a long distance relationship.
“It makes me enjoy our time together and appreciate the time we do have,” Patterson said.
JT Yoho, a freshman guard on the men’s basketball team, is in a relationship that was long distance before he stepped foot on campus. But college life has changed his relationship as well.
“Traveling has been hard and has limited the amount of times we see each other, but on the other hand we kind of had a long distance relationship in high school so we were used to it to some degree,” Yoho said.
Yoho said the method of communication in his relationship varies. When he’s on a road trip with his team, he’s forced to text his girlfriend the majority of the time, while in Fairborn he uses Skype more often.
Both Yoho and Patterson offered up advice for those committed to a long distance relationship or to those who will be in one in the future: communicate however you can and trust your partner.
“You have to be trusting for the relationship to be successful,” Yoho said. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
Patterson emphasized mixing up how you communicate with your significant other to show how you care.
“I would say that communication is key and the small things are what matter,” Patterson said. “Send them a letter in the mail once in a while instead of just texting. Skype whenever you can, even if it is only 20 minutes.”
Patterson agreed with Yoho saying that trust is crucial in a long distance relationship.
“Your level of trust has to increase. If not then you will worry all the time and it will put strain on the relationship,” Patterson said.
