Student-athletes are stretched incredibly thin. From schoolwork and extra practice times, they have a huge amount of responsibility. It is tough for players to keep motivated throughout the school year, so a few athletes shared some advice with the Catalyst.

“For me, my teammates helped motivate myself to do more and to do better,” said Jessica Ai, a varsity volleyball player. “But, my mom is the person who motivates me the most since she is always there when I need her, and she helps me out when I feel down.”

“The main thing that keeps me motivated is the desire to achieve the goals I have set for myself and the satisfaction I get when accomplishing them,” said Annette Henderson, a varsity cross country runner. “But, overall, the feeling of being accomplished and a successful student-athlete brings a lot of motivation in itself.” It is also important to stay on top of schoolwork as poor grades can negatively affect playtime.

“I stay on top of my school work by meeting with my tutor and finding time after practices to get all of my work done,” said JV water polo player Aoife Rossiter. “If I am confused on where to find an assignment, I just reach out to a classmate for help.”

In addition to school work, maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for athletic performance.

“As an athlete, my diet consists of bread, pasta, and fruit and cereal. Nothing fancy because I’m a vegetarian,” said golfer Savvy Sweet.

“I try to maintain a healthy diet, but sometimes, I don’t,” said varsity volleyball player Jessica Ai. “For me, I try to eat food that contains a good amount of proteins – including nuts, dried beans – carbs and calories… For example, fruits, meats – mostly chicken breast or beef – and low-fat dairy products. I try to stay out of fatty foods.”

“Practice is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., Wednesday from 5-6:30 p.m., and weights on Tuesday from 3-3:45 p.m,” said Alyssa Kimoto, who is on the cheer team this season. ”I’ve learned to get homework done over the weekend and work ahead as much as possible… Taking advantage of collaboration helps me stay on top of my work. It has taught me the value of time management, especially because cheer isn’t the only extracurricular I’m doing at the moment.”