Student athletes run out of hours fast with all their homework, practice, travel, and more. The only way to keep a healthy schedule is by learning how to balance schoolwork and sports.
We talked to 2 athletes about 3 different sports and how they manage to stay on task. Track star and flag football player Carter Robinson is a freshman at Steinbrenner high school. She was asked “How do you balance your responsibilities as student and an athlete?” “I do my schoolwork first or I stay up late,” replied Robinson.
It is very hard to balance school and sports, especially when taking college level classes. classes. The young athlete Robinson herself is taking AP art, history, AICE thinking skills, and AICE general paper.
Robinson has learned to adapt and balance both her schoolwork and her sports by either doing her schoolwork first or staying up late if a practice or game is running behind schedule.
She gave a quick preview of what she does before a game. “I do my schoolwork first, go to the gym, and then get myself ready and pumped up for the actual game,” said Robinson. The late nights hit the hardest after an early practice and a long day of school, but Robinson knows the way to make sure that she is successful.
Student athletes juggle classes, homework, and practice early in the morning or even after school in the blazing hot sun. It is very important for athletes to get their work done in school and their homework done at home. Some of these athletes even have after-school sports.
Amelia Branch is a freshman on the J.V volleyball team at Steinbrenner high school. She also does club volleyball as an after-school curriculum. Branch was asked what her plan was after late practice or after a late game. She responded with “I have to stay up later and do all my work”.
Branch is a hard worker, not only in sports, but also in her academics. She has figured out a whole system of what to do when she gets back home from school.
“I make sure to get my schoolwork done once I get done with it and make sure that I get everything turned in on time. After this I’ll usually just do whatever, I want,” said Branch. She is super excited to be on an amazing team, especially since she will be playing with a lot of her friends.
Time management as a student athlete can be tricky, but with the right planning, routines, and using support from coaches, teammates, and teachers can make everything easier.
Late night practices make nights very tough, so mornings get used for quick review. Small habits stack up which can cause cramming. Student athletes use planners, team calendars, and more to help declutter the mind.
With the right support from the school staff and peers, time management can become easier for student athletes.
