Balancing the workloads of competitive athletics and college-predatory academics is possible with traits of perseverance, effort, and responsibility. Participating in sports on top of school proves to be difficult because both take up a lot of time and energy. The day of a student athlete provides little time to relax.
“On weekdays with practice, I wake up early, sometimes go to meetings for clubs after school, go to lift from 3:15-4:15ish, do homework, and then go to practice from 7:15-10:00 PM,” said sophomore Claire D’Amico. “I get home around 10:30 and if I haven’t finished my homework, I stay up late doing it. The next morning, I wake up early again.”
It is easy to see how this schedule could be tiring. Perseverance and effort allows the student athletes to keep going and complete that last assignment even when it is late and all they want to do is sleep after a long practice. Responsibility is necessary for the student athlete to manage their time and complete all assignments.
“My biggest advice is probably time management,” said sophomore Marcella Vitullo. “Make sure you finish your homework and studying before practice or as early as possible. Use your time wisely.”
Balancing sports, school, and other aspects of life can be overwhelming.
“I think the hardest part is trying to balance being 100% committed to your team, your grades, and your social life,” said sophomore Erin Lynch. “It can all be really time consuming. I try to find a middle ground without sacrificing one or the other.”
A student athlete must keep academics, athletics, and social life relatively balanced or failure occurs. Additionally, it is good to keep the categories separate.
“One piece of advice I would give to other student-athletes is to make sure school and sports stay separate,” said sophomore Megan Waters. “If school becomes stressful, make sure to put all those negative thoughts aside once sports begin. It will allow you to focus on becoming a better athlete, and will allow you to enter a clear state of mind for when you do have to complete your school work.”
While being a student athlete can be stressful, athletics can relieve some of the frustration that comes with school and allows the mind to focus elsewhere.
Despite the challenges that come with being a dedicated student athlete, the role is very rewarding. Getting an A after studying late that one night and celebrating with teammates in the locker room after a big win is extremely fulfilling and makes it all worth it.
“What makes me want to keep going is how much I love the sport and the people I play with,” said Lynch. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything, and it makes me so happy that I will gladly take on a little more stress if it means I can play with my friends.”
