Academic Balancing Act

Time is something that all of us want, but most of us don’t have. Despite this, a lot of students at McClatchy participate in team sports around their academics, and manage it well! I talked to Julianna “J” Lopez (‘20), a player on the McClatchy Junior Varsity Volleyball team about how she manages sports and school. She is an experienced player who has been playing Volleyball year-round since she was in 5th grade, and this past season at McClatchy was her 9th season. She’s gearing up for club season now, and is super excited to start playing again. She’s been balancing her school and volleyball workload together as a student at Holy Spirit, and now here at McClatchy. When I asked her if it was difficult to manage her time around the sport, she laughed. “Yes, very!” She said emphatically. “I’ve felt tempted to quit. My school, not my sports, that is. I love volleyball, and nothing can make me want to quit.”
She has wanted to play college volleyball since she was very young, and she’s working hard to realize that dream. But how do grades and studying factor in? She explained to me that she keeps a planner in her backpack where she records all homework that she is assigned and how long she estimates that it will take her. After school she goes home to do some homework, and 2 to 3 days a week she returns to school for volleyball for 2 hours or more before going home to do more homework. “Taking a shower and eating also takes up my time too,” she added.
This year, JV only lost 2 games in League, but that kind of success requires hard work, dedication, and time. Time that is taken away from homework. I asked J what she thought about active student athletes being exempt from P.E. for a study hall style period. “I totally think they should do that. Saint Francis does that, I don’t see why we can’t too. If we have a free period, it’ll help us keep on top of our homework. It’s not that you have more time when you get home, it just means you’ll be more prepared for tests and stuff because you have more time to study.”
J isn’t the only one who struggles with time management issues – almost everyone has extracurriculars they need to work around, whether it’s sports,arts, or even just spending time hanging out with friends and family or relaxing on your own. It’s too bad that These two things, academics and the things you love to do, often times trump each other. It’s sad that academics can prevent you from doing the things you love when education is specifically designed to give you the qualifications to do what you love.
Academic balancing acts aren’t going away anytime soon, and they really are integral parts in the life of any high school student.