Balancing School and Sports is a Tough Task for many Students
By: Mihajlo Grkovic
Many students pick up sports during their time in high school, and it’s very beneficial. But, along with the benefits of picking up a sport for the school or outside of the school, there are also downsides. One of the most common problems student athletes face is managing their time in an efficient manner. Sports practices and games can take up much of a student’s time after school, which doesn’t leave much time for studying and homework. Therefore, student athletes have to find a way to balance school and sports so they can do well in both areas. Although it can be difficult, many students manage to excel in both academics and athletics.
Some students also pick up more rigorous classes in high school, including AP and dual enrollment classes that are courses for advanced students who wish to study at a college level in high school. Lauren Infante, an athlete on the tennis team, says, “I take 3 AP classes while I do tennis, which can be pretty hard because the workload can be overwhelming when you’re also worrying about your game on Friday. On top of that, I have to go to practice every day for about two hours which takes time out of my day when I could be working on my Physics FRQ.” Taking rigorous college classes while playing sports is not a unique experience, and many students go through this same thought process. The anxiety of the night before a big game can take your mind off your homework and cause you not to perform as well as you usually do in your classes. It can also be the other way around. The worry of a test that could potentially tank your grade while you’re playing a sport could cause you to miss that three point shot or cause you to not catch that potential touchdown.
Another aspect of student athletes managing their time is responsibilities and requirements that come from being an upperclassman. Often, juniors and seniors have to start collecting community service hours to be eligible for the Bright Futures scholarship. These hours can often take up time that is meant for practices or games for their team. Sometimes, this can lead to players who have positions like team captain to be asked to resign from that position due to decreased participation in team activities. So, students are left with a decision. Prioritize my academics or prioritize my team. But taking on both of these responsibilities is what many students do, and it can be too much for the average student. Anxiety from running around, exerting yourself physically for your sport, and exerting yourself mentally in school and sometimes community service can be tiring in both aspects. Senior Adrian Gongora says, “I need these community service hours to get a scholarship but I think I might have to skip some practices this season in order to meet the quota. It sucks, but I hope I can still lead the team while missing a couple practices.”
Something more to consider is that student athletes also want to maintain their social lives. Believe it or not, students have lives outside of school, and they usually don’t want to completely dedicate themselves to their schooling. Practices that take place after school can mean that students have almost no time to relax or hang out with friends on weekdays. Student’s social lives are a part of their lives that many people fail to take into consideration when thinking about time management and the way they spend their time outside of school. Students who spend long periods of time without relaxation or time to have fun experience negative effects that can weigh on their mental health like developing social anxiety, isolating themselves, and depression. This is yet another way that school and school related activities can take away from a student’s time and negatively affect them.
Student athletes try their best to manage their time well, but sometimes it’s hard with all the obstacles that stand in their way on their way to success. Things like practices, more rigorous high school classes, and community service hours can cause challenges for student athletes who are trying to succeed in school and sports at the same time. Though these things may cause trouble, students make it through and are able to succeed in whatever they want.