Sonnet House is one of many students at Leesville High School who has to balance school and soccer. Being a student athlete helps her be responsible and improve her time management. (Photo used by permission of Erin House)
It’s 5 a.m. and your alarm just went off — you’ve got six hours of sleep. You roll out of bed, get dressed, grab your bookbag and athletics bag and are out the door.
Where could a highschool student be going this early in the morning, and why did they stay up so late? This right here is one of the difficulties that student athletes have to face everyday for practice.
“Being a student athlete is hard, definitely with balancing school work and soccer. Having to practice for two hours, then coming home and working on homework for two hours gets really stressful” said Sonnet House, a senior playing club soccer for NCFC and varsity for Leesville.
Students have a limited time after school, balancing sports, homework, and jobs. Most students, despite the excessive workload of AP classes and studying, wouldn’t give up playing their high school for more free time.
“I love playing and being a student athlete and getting to play for the school. Being able to represent your school colors and play for your peers is the best feeling in the world. If you put in the time and effort, you’ll get the grades and that feeling of greatness during the game,” said Zayne Naseer, a three-year varsity football player. “Colleges look for experience with the smarter, faster, and stronger athletes”.
Being a student athlete is beneficial in many ways. The jam-packed schedule helps students manage their time and responsibilities, and prepares these students for a more successful future. It also helps students become more social and build leadership roles in the classroom.
Athletics during the school season can be stressful and take up the majority of a student’s week, but in the end, getting to represent your school and play the sport you love is an opportunity no student would ever give up.
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