August 12. School was back in session, students were settling into their new classes, and fall sports began. However, being in a sport while in school can be stressful and time-consuming for some students. With about two hours of practice almost every day, along with matches, team-building activities, classes, homework, and other extracurricular commitments, it can be hard for student-athletes to find a sense of balance.
Commitments
Many athletes commit not only to playing on the team
but to being a good teammate and leader.
Varsity dancer Karis Choi (11) described how important it is for the team to have a strong ability to work together. Choi explained how she contributes to her
team in that aspect.
“I’m a spirit leader, so I coordinate team bonding,” Choi said. “[This entails that] I talk with my other two co-spirit leaders about what we’re doing for team bonding. If we’re doing a team sleepover, [we make sure] there’s no confusion on when it is, where it is, etcetera.”
Fellow varsity dancer Mia Psaras (11) explained her responsibilities as varsity dance team captain.
“[Being a captain] is being a leader for the team, setting reminders for people of what to bring, and just motivation,” Psaras said. Muxe Marhanele (12), who plays right wing on the varsity soccer team, described his commitments with
his teammates on the field. “[I am committed to] taking care of the younger guys, making sure traditions are being kept, and just making sure everyone is working hard every day… and [that] everyone’s head is up and nobody is feeling bad about themselves,” Marhanele said.
Student commitments are not solely on the field, but also at home. Marhanele demonstrates this by taking care of his family members at home.
Mental reset
Psaras said she uses dance and her Student Council Executive meeting period as a mental reset before going home to do homework. She feels these activities are especially beneficial when her academic workload gets heavy, with the three AP classes and one honors class she is currently taking.
Varsity cheerleader, Eva Tyderek (12) explained how she takes care of her mental health when feeling overwhelmed by school, sports, and her job.
“I talk to my friends, and if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I take a day off, watch a movie, and don’t do anything that day,”
Tyderek said.
Varsity golfer Conor Fayard (12) described how he has grown
as a golfer throughout his high school golf career.
“I’ve grown [as a golfer] since freshman year because I played through a lot of adversity,” Fayard said. “I feel like
that’s what helped me the most in my junior and senior years, because I learned the worst that could happen [in golf] is me playing badly, and then I just go out the next time and do well.”
Fayard also explained how golf has changed his general mentality as he has progressed as a golfer.
“Golf is a very frustrating game but it sharpens my mental
health…If you can manage golf, you can manage anything,” he
said.
Tips for finding balance
Choi described her academic workload as a Junior and how she is
able to balance her classes while being a varsity dancer. “It’s not too bad, as long as you keep up with your work,” Choi
said.
Fayard explained how he balances his job while being a full-time golfer and student.
“[I balance everything] by making sure I plan out my homework
schedule; I write everything down and make sure I do that,”
Fayard said. “It’s not about time, it’s about remembering what I
have to do…It’s always about the grind.”
“…It’s always about the grind.”- Conor Fayard