Whether you are a part of a sports team, the drama club or the marching band, time management is a challenge all high schoolers face. For me, juggling sports, homework and my responsibilities as Commons editor of the school newspaper, while still setting aside time to spend with friends and family, can be taxing.
Students tend to focus on what would look good on a college application, and they often pile on more than they can manage. Some students can handle numerous extracurricular activities while others get stressed out just from their homework. According to The Washington Post, “educators and researchers agree there’s no optimal number of activities; it depends on the kid.”
Since there is only so much time in a day, overlapping of extracurriculars is common. And since you can only be in one place at a time, missing one commitment to fulfill another is impossible to avoid. Communication is key when it comes to balancing your responsibilities. I often have to miss all or part of a field hockey or lacrosse practice for newspaper, and my coaches are understanding as long as I let them know ahead of time.
Prioritizing is another necessity for busy students. Coaches understand the importance of academics and are usually flexible and understanding when it comes to missing practice due to an educational obligation. “Sometimes I have to leave [lacrosse] practice early for ACT tutoring and coach doesn’t really care,” junior Madison Linn said.
Making sure academics are a top priority is a common struggle among student athletes. Although sports practices and games are time consuming, student athletes must be sure to devote time to schoolwork as well. According to the New York Times, “Balance is a real challenge because education is crucial to a young athlete’s’ life.”
The school’s sports teams practice five-six days a week, so this rigorous schedule does not give student athletes much downtime. The value of the social life of a student athlete is often overlooked. According to the New York Times, “student’s social life is also very important to their well being and it helps them relax. If a student athlete only had sports and academics in their life then a mental and physical burnout would become very probable.”
In order to avoid the stress that comes along with a busy schedule, it’s important to set time aside for yourself so you can unwind. “I always relax on Sundays since that’s the only day I don’t have lacrosse,” sophomore Jordyn Delo said.
