Being a high school student puts more than enough stress on people’s plates, yet there are hundreds of students who go above and beyond by adding a sport on top of their academics. Not only does this require a student to be academically responsible, but also physically fit and mentally disciplined.
While actively being a student-athlete, one must find a balanced routine that best works for them.
“Everything is about your time management because both classes and sports take so much of your time,” said volleyball player freshman Sylvia Hayes. “To be good at something, you have to participate, but to be great or excel at something, you have to go beyond expectations. Which means working outside of practice or class time [more than] an average student/player.”
That being said, there is a great deal of trial and error in finding the perfect equilibrium between school and sports.
“I find it difficult [to balance school and my sport] because a lot of teachers overload students with work, and once I finally get home from practice, I’m not in the mood to do even more school work,” said football player freshman Colby Wehr. “I just want to chill.”
As mentioned before, being a student-athlete takes dedication and discipline. While these teenagers are given the same amount of work as non-athletes, they’re also working to put their best foot forward in their sports. In doing so, many have found strategies that work best for them.
“I use the Scribble Method,” said freshman John Diwa, a volleyball player and swimmer, “Take handwritten notes and do work for an hour, then take a 10-minute phone break.”
Not only does a student-athlete have to learn the correct schedule that works for them and study methods, but also eating for performance.
“I try to eat more organic, natural foods. This is mainly because other foods could potentially weigh me down in the water,” said swimmer freshman Lily Bialorucki.
Others don’t watch what they eat so closely but are careful to stay healthy.
“I’m not too specific about what I eat, but rather large portions,” said Hayes, “I don’t know that much, but I do know building muscle and strength takes eating large portions, so I just eat as much as I can or as much as I’m hungry for and have lots of extra foods so I can eat snacks when I’m hungry.”
Being a student-athlete comes with a great deal of pressure and responsibility, and is not to be taken lightly. With hard work, determination, and responsibility, students can excel in not only academics but in their sport as well.
