Each week, CatholicSportsNet.com will be getting to know a new student-athlete from around the country, by asking him/her a series of 20 questions - some in-depth, some lighthearted - that will provide insight into the thoughts and personalities of the men and women who are doing great things onand off the courts, fields, tracks, and courses.

Krista Joy LaBissoniere is a sophomore at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. Her commitment to the classroom is apparent with a 3.65 cum GPA in her studies of Secondary Education and English. In addition, she received the title as “Captain” for her softball team and volleyball team this upcoming season.

1) How did you choose the college you attend?

I wanted to attend a college that was close to home, Albertus was that college. Also I wanted to attend a college where I knew I would be able to balance both volleyball and softball along with school and work. I also wanted to be sure that I would be playing in games. If I had attended a D1 or D2 school, I might not have been able to balance sports, a job, and school work.

2) What is your favorite part of college athletics?

I love that AMC athletics are high school sports taken to the next level. By this I mean that our competition is much harder than high school level and the game is taken more seriously, but yet the community and bond the team forms is just like a little family; how it often felt during high school. I love that I can be a part of a program that is taken seriously and be with people who I have fun and feel comfortable with.

3) How do you balance academics and your sport(s)?

Balancing my academics and both volleyball and softball was not at all easy. There were times my freshman year where I was extremely over whelmed and thought I would not be able to handle doing both, along with working. Since I do not live on campus, commuter seemed to add to the stress. However, this past year, my sophomore year, I learned how to manage my time better. I had to do my school work before games because I knew that I would be getting home late. This also meant that test needed to be studied for early, and papers needed to be written early as well. I had to plan out my week and my assignments before the week even started. However, sometimes I fell off track, but good grades are most important, so no matter what, my school work always got done.

4) What is the hardest part about being a student athlete?

The hardest part about being a student athlete is learning time management. Because a D3 school does not support school funding through sports, getting good grades and making the Dean’s list is essential. However, it is hard to learn how to manage my time between classes, homework, papers, exams and games and practices. It is important for me to learn how to use my time wisely and not procrastinate or slack off.

5) What do you do for fun when you aren’t in class or at practice?

 When I am not in class, or not doing class work, or in practice, I hang out with some of the girls on my softball team. This season I have become very close with about six or seven girls and we always find something fun to do in our free time. We play games in the dorms at school, go out for dinner, or have a girls’ night out.  I enjoy spending time with these girls, and they have become more than just my teammates.

6) What is the best characteristic that you bring to your teammates?

The best characteristic that I bring to my teammates is leadership. I think it is important to be a responsible and respectful player. I try my hardest and play my game 100%, hoping that my teammates will follow. Also, I try to bring sense of humor into the mix, to lighten the mood whenever we are having a rough game.

7) What does your team do as a pre game ritual?

Usually, every time we have a game on either a Saturday or a Sunday, my teammates and I have a game night. We all sleep in each other’s dorm rooms and we play card and bored games. We like to have team bonding before games.

8) What music do you listen to before a game?

My teammates and I like to blast rap music in our team vans to get us pumped before our games.

9) What role does your faith play throughout school, games, and practice?

My family and I are highly religious and I have to attend mass every weekend, so even if I have homework or a game, it is very important that I find time to go to church. Also, AMC is a catholic school and there was a mass which blessed the student athletes.

10) Favorite pro team to watch?

My favorite pro team to watch is the Boston Red Sox. Even though this is a baseball team and I play softball, I love to watch the Red Sox players run their team plays, watching them win is just a plus.

11) What is your coach’s best quality?

For both my softball and volleyball coach, their best quality is optimism. These coaches are consistently positive and encouraging. They are constantly telling my teammates and I that we are doing better and always improving. They are always hopefully that we will win more games. Even if we lose a game or a match, they point out all of the positives.

12) Why is a team captain(s) so important to the team?

A team captain is important because every team needs a player that they can count on to be a leader. This is not someone that will boss their teammates around, but rather someone who is respectful and always positive. A team captain never gives up on his/her players and he/she always pushes players to do their best. A captain is someone that the coaches and the players can count on.

13) How does your team handle defeat?

What do you say to your team after a tough loss? My team, for both softball and volleyball, seems to handle defeat very well. Instead of harping on the past and getting upset about it, we take the negatives and learn from them. Every game we strive to play better than the last game. We always try to stay positive.

14) What is your favorite pre game snack?

 My favorite pregame snack is red apples.

15) Favorite movie quote?  

I have two favorite quotes. My first one is “don’t let the fear of striking out stop you from playing the game” from A Cinderella Story. My second favorite quote is actually a poem from Tennyson: “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

16) What advice do you have for young student athletes as they decide where to go to college?

Advice I would give to young student athletes, is to choose a college that will make you happy. Do not go to a college just because your friends are going there. No matter what college you go to you will make friends, so do not let others alter your college choice.  

17) Best smart phone app?

Twitter … This application kept all of us girls busy while on those long bus rides.

18) How do you think your involvement in college sports and academics will benefit you when you begin to look for a job?

 My involvement in college sport and academics will benefit when I am looking for a job because I have learned the importance of time management, responsibility, how to cope with other people, and how to cope with defeat. I will take what I have learned in college and apply it to the real world, which will help to better my future.

19) What does it mean to play athletics for a catholic college?

Playing for a catholic college is different than playing athletics for a public or state college because we need to find a balance between keeping our faith and attending mass, playing our sport(s), and getting good grades.

20) What is your proudest athletic achievement?

My proudest athletic achievement is adjusting to and playing well new positions that I am not familiar with. For example, for volleyball, I am a libero. However, due to injuries I have had to be the setter and the outside hitter. I had to adjust to new positions and play them to the best of my ability. Also, for softball my position was left field. However, due to team injuries and lack of bodies, I had to play center field, second base, third base, short stop, and even pitch. Most of these positions were out of my comfort zone. Yet, I took it as my job to “take one for the team” and play the best I could. I learned to love playing these positions and succeeded at playing them. Also, another proud athletic achievement was receiving the Captain title for both volleyball and softball.