The Importance Of Balancing School And Sports

Balancing school and sports is something that many high school students deal with. Whether they are a one-sport athlete or a three-sport athlete, they all try to find a way to succeed in both their academics and their athletics. Some students deal with the burden of schoolwork and their athletic priorities well, while others struggle with finding the time and motivation to balance them both. I am a student-athlete myself and fortunately have been able to balance my homework, studying, practices, and sports games while succeeding in both areas. Throughout my high school career, I have altered my studying styles and forced myself to become more organized. In order to succeed in school and athletics, people must be willing to work hard to achieve …show more content…
When I asked her what were some of the main struggles she had with dealing with sports and school, Courtney answered, “I mostly struggle with time management, and not procrastinating until the day before the homework is due.” Most student-athletes would agree with Courtney’s statement—it is especially hard to find the time to study or finish homework between the time you are in school and practicing the sport you play. Many students, even ones who do not participate in extra-curricular activities, struggle with waiting until the last minute to finish an assignment because of lack of motivation or other obligations. Student-athletes often find themselves cramming in all the homework that was assigned days ago into one night because of their lack of time-management …show more content…
Those who find time management a struggle sometimes take matters into their own hands and dismiss other obligations, maybe even another sport. Take Courtney, for instance. She was a three-sport athlete in middle school, but her freshman year of high school she became a two-sport athlete. “I decided to quit basketball because I wanted to play club volleyball in the winter, and playing both would have been to much for me to handle.” This is the case for many athletes, including myself. My freshman year of high school, I made the decision not to play basketball and to make more time to focus on my studies as well. “I just thought it would be nice to take a season off, and since I play softball in the spring it is nice to have a season where I don’t have to balance two sports at the same time along with my school work.” Courtney still is involved in volleyball and softball through school, and plays club volleyball through Viterbo University; she also participates in clubs and other extra curricular activities. When asked if she would ever completely quit her athletics to focus more on school she answered, “No, I love them too much to simply quit. They give me something to look forward to during school.” I believe most athletes would agree with Courtney’s