The life of a student athlete is seen as exciting and fun, filled with team comradery and school pride. But behind the scenes are sleepless nights filled with homework after a late game or cramming sessions following hours of practice.

Balancing Academics and Athletics 

It is no secret that managing your schedule can be tough, yet when you add in practices, hours of homework, and, for some, after school jobs it seems nearly impossible to get everything done and still have a social life.

When asked about her after school routine, junior Sofia Bellacqua said, “[After school] I go straight to soccer, then depending on if it was a game or practice I might have a pasta party I go to for a couple hours before heading home to do my homework.”

She went on to explain that although she has a lot on her plate with school, sports, and homework, she is able to get it all done with little to no stress. She said she only spends an hour or less a night on homework. However, not all students feel the same as Bellacqua.

Junior Morgan Dewey expressed the extreme levels of stress she feels with the pressure of doing well athletically and academically as well as getting work hours.

She said her routine this fall has been to, “get home from cross country practice, then take a shower, eat dinner, and start [her] homework.” She added, “If I have time, which most nights I don’t, I will watch a show before going to bed.”

This is only her fall schedule. When asked if her stress levels fluctuate depending on the season, she urgently explained, “In the winter, I have little to no time at all; I go to ski practice after school [and] then go home to do my homework.”

Dewey said it wasn’t the weekdays that were the problem, but it was her weekends that flipped her life upside down. “I go to Maine every Friday straight from school where I spend the entire weekend skiing. I have no time to do any school work before I have to drive 4 hours home two days later.”

Student athlete schedules have gotten to the point where for some, their social life has completely diminished. Yet those who value their social time begin to make cuts in other parts of their schedules.

Are Academics The Problem?

Is there a reason why schoolwork is the first sacrifice for these student athletes? 

Sports may be stressful, but the real pressures are from the academic side of the spectrum. In general, students at Pentucket High School have shown particularly strong work ethic in striving to maintain a good GPA. 

But this is where the problems begin for student athletes. They take the hardest classes, challenge themselves everyday, and are given little time in and out of school to get it all done.

Taking difficult classes comes with lots of homework on top of the normal workload for school. This often becomes overwhelming for student athletes who are already struggling to balance their schedules.

When talking to Dewey, she stated she felt that “Although school is important, I don’t value it as much as having fun and living my life. I would rather not be confined to my schoolwork and actually get time to myself.” 

However, Bellacqua said, “I don’t really have to cut my schoolwork from my schedule to do other things. It either comes first or I get it all done during my study hall.”  

So Where’s The Problem?

The problem doesn’t lie in the academics or the athletics a student participates in. But, the real problem when it comes to the struggles of student athletes is the pressure the student puts on themselves. 

When Dewey was asked if she believes this is true with her, she explained, “My mom always wants me to do well in school and cross country, but the pressure she puts on me is nothing compared to the stress I put on myself.” 

She went on to say she understands her limitations and knows what it takes for her to become overly stressed. However, she would rather take the hardest classes and stretch herself too thin than accept when it becomes too much.

Students like her do this as well. They want to do well in everything they do. So rather than drop a class that’s too challenging or take a day off to catch up, most, if not all student athletes push themselves to do their best in every aspect. This is where the stress comes from.

Balancing a busy schedule isn’t easy and it can become very challenging, but with the right support and mindset, student athletes can do it all.