Throughout all sports seasons, many high school students participate in athletics. At NDB, sports are offered year round, including the fall, winter and spring. The range of sports offered allows each student to get a taste of everything that interests them. With all of these sports, there are not a lot of open spots on NDB’s benches as Tigers pounce on the opportunities that are given to them.
High school sports can offer numerous benefits to students. It can help them not only get good exercise and improve at the sport, but create new friendships. It is an overall special experience because the people on one’s team could also be in their art, math or English class.
Additionally, one can create friendships that one might not have even discovered if one had not played that sport. For example, a freshman can become friends with a senior through soccer. It is an overall unforgettable experience that some student-athletes wish they could do forever.
However, being a student-athlete comes with its great responsibilities.
Most sports have practices every day before or after school as well as games almost every week. This schedule is certainly demanding on student-athletes because, sometimes, after a game or a practice, the student-athlete does not want to be the student. They are tired of the long day that they just had going to classes and playing their sport. Additionally, not only did they have to worry about that practice or game, they now have to worry about homework to do, tests or quizzes to study and, for seniors, college applications to fill out.
“I procrastinate a lot, but I think, for me, [I have] to set certain standards for myself, especially on weekends,” said volleyball player and senior Ari Juarez. “I dedicate two hours to homework and college apps, and then the rest goes to volleyball and other stuff, too. I think it’s important to know how to balance social life, athletics and schoolwork as well.”
With practices and games taking place weekly, it can be challenging to find time in a busy schedule to do homework, which may lead student-athletes to subconsciously prioritize sports over academics.
Whether it be cramming in an assignment during lunch, so they do not have to do it after their game that night or even reading a book for an English class on the bus on the way to a game, one can not deny the fact that high school sports are time-consuming. Most practices for sports are around two hours, and games take up even more, not to mention away games, which takes travel time for student-athletes to drive back to campus and then back to their homes.
Some student-athletes also participate in club sports at the same time that their high school sports are going on. This adds even more stress to the student-athlete because they have high school practice and, usually right after that, their club practice or vice versa. It is very demanding and forces the student-athlete to create a schedule that works for them and allows them to get all of their work done, while also having time for family and friends.
“The reality of being a student athlete is fun, yet stressful at the same time,” said soccer player and sophomore Ella Leyte-Vidal. “You get to meet all new people and become friends with upperclassmen that you may not have become friends with. But, there’s also the reality of dealing with school work and having to deal with tests. I find it helpful to write down everything that I need to do.”
Being a student-athlete is an overall fun, yet stressful experience, all at the same time. It is very demanding, but it also allows the student to build new connections and friendships. What student-athletes should be recognized and praised for is their hard work during their sports season because it has added pressure that not many people realize.
These new characteristics developed from being such a student can be carried by the student-athletes after high school and through their future. It is encouraged that students try new sports in school.
