Every student athlete has to battle the task of balancing their academics and sports, which can become very stressful. In order to do so, they have to be able to manage their time wisely and prioritize their tasks. 

For students, this can be difficult due to their inability to set sufficient time aside for their schoolwork and sport. The time spent on each task can be unbalanced. “I spend two hours in training and the rest of the time, I spend on homework,” Junior Nalin Rawat said. However, that unbalance may lead to problems within schedules. “It’s kind of hard to balance because after I get home from practice, I’m too tired to do my homework.”

Some are better than others at balancing the two, however, others may get too caught up in one that they begin to lose sight of the other task. “Sometimes I find myself dedicating more time to cheer instead of focusing on my schoolwork, which is a problem,” Junior Sophia Agrafas said.  

Too many student athletes forget that playing on a sports team is supposed to help lead you to success, not hinder the process. 

On the other hand, some students may use sports as a way to alleviate their workload rather than simultaneously worrying about the two. Although, that stress-free time is only temporary before they have to return to hours of homework.  “I use practice as a way to relieve stress and afterward, I worry about academics,” Sophomore Taylor Nugen. “My practice is two hours every day, and games tend to take the whole day. I spend four hours every weeknight and the weekend doing my homework.”

Too many student athletes forget that playing on a sports team is supposed to help lead you to success, not hinder the process. This is due to the fact that they tend to forget that their education comes first, not sports. In fact, academics will most likely take a student further in life than a sport ever could. According to the NCCA, only about seven percent of student athletes get drafted to play in college. 

It is important for students to implement strategies to aid them in performing well in both areas. Many experts suggest that student athletes should refrain from procrastinating, plan the week out ahead of time, and take advantage of the resources offered. 

Ultimately, it is up to the student athlete to work hard in order to achieve what they want, which in this case, is success in both of those areas.