By Lauren DiGregorio
At NHP, there are various students who dedicate their time to achieving high grades and being a part of a sports team, yet it is not as simple as doing homework and playing in a game. Student athletes must juggle long school days, two-hour practices after school, two or more hours of homework a night, other extracurricular activities, test prep, downtime, and sleep.
For students who have never balanced sports and school before, they can easily become overwhelmed by the workload; however, student athletes from NHP prove that it is possible to do both. Varsity soccer, riflery, lacrosse player, and Romanette Samantha Chang had a rigorous course load this year, including AP Physics, AP Language and Composition, and AP United States History. She still accomplished above-average grades while being a starter player for multiple teams. Like many other student athletes, she agrees that a schedule is key to success.
“...I think it is all about balance and following a schedule that aligns with your goals without sacrificing your own happiness...”
“Sports are definitely a large time commitment and it can be stressful sometimes when you have a heavy academic course load, but all things considered, the experience is more than worth it. With this school year, I think that sports was a way for people to take a break from their screens and spend time with their friends and have fun. I know how hard it can be to balance school and sports but ultimately I think it is all about balance and following a schedule that aligns with your goals without sacrificing your own happiness,” said junior Samantha Chang.
An important aspect of playing sports in high school is determining which responsibility needs more time and attention: academics or the team. For some students, going to college prep courses and extra studying takes precedence over attending each game, but some students are focused on playing sports in college and earning sport related scholarships, so attending every game is more important.
Source by Lauren DiGregorio
Junior Samantha Chang balances all of her responsibilities through a solid schedule.
“It was really a matter of figuring out my priorities; there were times where I had to choose academics over sports. This year I had SAT prep classes, so sometimes I had to miss a game or leave early to attend the prep class. I think grades are more important, but personally I like to play sports to get more involved,” said junior Amanda Joa.
Most students would not give up playing their sport because of increased stress. Sports become a good outlet for that stress, and sometimes anger, that is built up from the school day. Playing a sport is also a good way to meet new people, create lasting friendships and stay healthy when you sit at a desk for a large part of the day.
“Being on the volleyball team helped me take out the anger and stress that I had with my classes or even with my personal life...”
“I remember finishing volleyball practice and sprinting to the cafeteria to get to the end of twirling practice. No matter what, I would have kept doing this to be able to be a part of both teams. Being on the volleyball team helped me take out the anger and stress that I had with my classes or even with my personal life. It took a few days to make a set schedule to be able to maintain all three of these things but eventually I got it down,” said senior Siya Sharma.
Student athletes may sign up for more stress by participating in sports on top of regular stressors from school, but a common consensus is that they would not give up sports. If they decide how to divide their time properly and take into account what they truly want, adding on an extra time commitment is well worth it for many.