For many high school students, the school day doesn’t end with the final bell. Practices, workouts and games often last late into the evening, leaving student-athletes to juggle academics alongside their athletic commitments. With pressure to succeed in both areas, finding a balance can be difficult.
Despite the benefits athletes enjoy from their sports, whether it be increased discipline, camaraderie or a sense of accomplishment, balancing academics and athletics comes at a cost. Long practices and longer hours studying can interfere with sleep, academic performance and mental health.
The stress of managing schoolwork alongside sports is a common challenge for student-athletes. According to a study published on PubMed Central, about 91% of high school athletes reported some level of stress due to their sports, with “self-pressure” being a driving cause of this increased anxiety. This pressure isn’t just a random statistic, many students at Highlands High School experience it in their daily lives.
“It’s tricky because if you really care and you don’t perform as well as you want to, it tanks and it hits you hard,” Trevor Markus (10) said. “Especially if you were aiming towards one specific goal and you don’t end up at your benchmark then it hurts a lot.”
However, many students have found healthy ways to tackle their workload without growing overwhelmed.
“I try to get a lot of my work done in flex, when I can’t sometimes I have to get creative. The day before my AP Human Geography test I was watching Mr. Sinn [an AP History YouTuber] live while doing a track workout,” Mirabelle Go (10) said.
For others, the routine is simpler, although just as demanding.
“It’s about balancing due dates, especially with AP work, mostly focusing on doing the work the day prior or day of, because it gets really rough. It’s not bad when you consider how lenient some classes are,” Markus (10) said.
Even with these strategies, time often remains a constant stressor. Many student-athletes find that practices and games frequently interfere with sleep and studying, particularly when it comes to prioritizing classes.
“It’s hard because I have practice every day and I’m in a bunch of AP classes with a lot of work. I feel like I always have to stay up late to finish my homework even after late night practices,” Go (10) said.
All in all, balancing athletics and academics will always be challenging, however, the growth that comes from both is crucial.
