With the school season starting up, fall sports are starting to take place rapidly, so students have to learn how to manage their time wisely. Sports can take up a large portion of someone’s day, with practices being around two hours and games having the ability to last longer. The addition of schoolwork, especially with honors or AP classes, only intensifies as the year progresses and can create longer days for teens. The need for organizing time efficiently is essential if students want to excel not only at their sports but also their studies.
Junior, Adrianna Chu, is on the volleyball team here at NDB and has the struggle of dealing with her sport’s demanding hours alongside her already hefty workload. She is typically tired and drained due to these factors, and specifically, last year, she had trouble dealing with time.
“Last season, practices finished extremely late, ending at 10:30 at the latest, and because of this, it was challenging balancing homework when I was unsure how to manage my workload,” said Chu.
Having to deal with limited time, she needed to find ways to organize her hours productively and learned that finishing her homework the day it was assigned would help her the most. She also recommends this to other student-athletes, as it allows her not to fall behind on any of her assignments.
Sophomore, Cadence Goblirsch, competes in three sports: tennis, soccer, and lacrosse, so managing time is critical as each season progresses. She recognizes the harsh reality that comes when trying to succeed in academics, while dealing with a sport.
“I come home late from sports and try to study for tests, but I tire myself out from studying so much and end up not doing so well, so it is sort of like a chain of things that start from sports” said Goblirsch.
The demand for school work while playing a sport can be difficult, especially as the semester increases. To help manage her time, she utilizes her planner to stay organized and uses any open times on weekends to complete homework. She recognizes the importance of breaks and talking to coaches in times when things can be overwhelming.
Sports Management and PE teacher, Coach Kate Mahoney, understands how overwhelming sports and school can be. When asked if she has any advice for students, she explains, “If it is a particular class, meet with that teacher, try to come up with a plan, and if they have any late work or missing assignments, just being in communication. Again, just utilize any of that open time during the day that they might have instead of socializing, and just use that time to get any work done,” said Mahoney.
When participating in a sport, the importance of organization and having a plan are crucial components that should not be overlooked. If things do end up being too hard to handle, it is essential to reach out for help, whether that is a school counselor or a reliable adult, as they can assist and help to improve things for the better. Being a student-athlete can be difficult at times, but with the proper schedule, anyone can succeed on the field and in the classroom.
