Student Athlete School Expectations and School Start Times

Photo source: Peter Mcclelland Pentucket Athletics Instagram

Photo source: Peter Mcclelland Pentucket Athletics Instagram

Kat Valeri, Writer

Many students are interested in playing a high school sport. Whether that be for the community, the opportunities, being a part of a team, a chance to meet new people, or the sport itself. People want to be a part of things, but what many don’t realize is that the fun of being on a school sports team comes with the stress of managing sleep and school work. 

Photo source: Pexels.com

Many studies have shown that high school students need more sleep. The recommended sleep hours are 6-8. However, it has been shown that teens and young adults would benefit from 8-10 hours of sleep every night. As of now, many students barely ever get the recommended amount of sleep.

 

Do later practices or games affect  your performance level in class?

When asked sophmore athlete Nina Gordon if she thinks student athletes tend to not perform as well academically after a late game or practice, she replied, “Yes. Personally, I do this too, I’m tired after I play a game and then I’m having to watch another game. Don’t get me wrong, I love supporting my team, but when I get home I just don’t have a desire to do homework and then when I do the work I end up not putting in a lot of effort so I’m not up so late.”

Sophomore Brie Brancato also says, “  When I have a late practice I usually have enough time to get my work done but on game days I barely have any time to do work. We have practice immediately then our 2 hour game and then we have to help out JV. This means we don’t get home until 8.”

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Keeping up with homework and school adds additional stress on those who have after school commitments that take over their time on a daily basis. “I definitely think that late games contribute negatively to poor academic performances” says Brie.

 

 

 

Should students be held accountable for being tired in class due to sports?       

Nina Gordon says, “I’m usually up till midnight or later trying to do my homework after a practice or a game, and then having to get to school, and wake up at 6am, I’m just so tired. Like in TV shows, when someone falls asleep it’s like a joke but yet it’s also relatable.” 

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Many if not all students in our community can relate to this statement. The pressure of getting all your work done along with spending most of your time on other activities just continues to fill your day with stress. 

Like Nina says, “the earliness of school just adds to the stress of getting everything done in time. I believe that how much sleep we get affects how we learn.” 

Sophomore Brie Brancato also says,“I think teachers should be more considerate about students’ extracurricular activities.” I bet most of you can agree with this, too. 

The question is, should Pentucket’s start time be pushed back? If schools around us do it, why can’t we? I asked many students how they felt about this and many said similar things. Nina Gordon had said yes, and that it would “relieve a lot of the stress” many students have. 

Brie Brancato says, “I think school should totally start later. They give us very little time to get dropped off, go to the locker room, and get to the first period.” Brie also makes the argument that “Student-athletes would benefit from a later start time because they have late practice, so more sleep is needed. Also, with a later start time, athletes can have a weight room session or a short practice before school. It gives athletes time to put their bags in the locker as well.”

How about you? Can you relate to the stress of managing your school work along with sports and your own personal needs?