After a long, grueling two-hour practice, student athletes still go home to a load of schoolwork, the size of which depends on the rigor of their course load. Some students find it hard to maintain good graders while doing a sport.

Freshman Hanna Carlson is a strong three-peat athlete participating in field hockey, swim team and lacrosse while maintaining a 3.3 GPA. “[Sports] are definitely a lot more going on in your life and your stress multiplies,” freshman Hanna Carlson said. “You know when you get home that you have to start your homework.”

Senior Jackie Beathea is on the girls’ varsity basketball team. Following each school day, she has an almost two hour basketball practice. In addition to that, she is an Academy student and studies paramedics at Falls Church HS. “[Balancing school and sports] is easier because I’ve got used to it and I know how to make time for both,” Beathea said.

The non-stop commotion of sports and school keeps these athletes on their toes. “I go to practice and when I get home, I do my homework. Sometimes I stay up really late to finish it, but I have to because it’s school,” Carlson said.

With the grueling schedules of these student-athletes, many still find the love of the sport and manage to stay at the top of their game. “[Playing a sport and being a student athlete] helps me stay focused and on the right track,” Beathea said.

“I like being a student-athlete because you’re a part of the school in more than one way. I’d rather be playing a sport than not,” Carlson said.

Even though the sport is the main focus of many athletes, academics can affect players’ eligibility. To make sure athletes maintain eligibility, some coaches hold mandatory study halls to make sure their athletes stay on track, such as the boys basketball team and the boys soccer team.

Sophomore Jordan Fox is a strong student along with being on both the boys’ basketball and soccer team. “I think [study hall] is good because it will help the soccer programs reputation and help the player get their grades up,” Fox said.

“[I’d rather not have a study hall] because the time that I get away from basketball I utilized it to study and do homework,” Beathea said.

Even though academics are always a challenge in students’ lives, they still manage to make time for the things they love most. Sophomore Sureyya Gokturk has been playing lacrosse since she was a child and continues to play for AHS.

“I started playing when I was younger, so it has always been a bigger part of my life,” Gokturk said.