When high school begins, it’s a huge culture shock for student-athletes. It isn’t like middle school, where things are more lenient. Your grades have an effect on your playing time, and the workload is a lot bigger. Student-athletes in high school have a huge responsibility to manage their school work, as well as practices and games. While some can view this as a bad thing that can lead to stress, it actually has a lot of positive effects. It is shown in research that student-athletes have a higher participation rate in school/classes, as well as being more likely to stay out of trouble and them being more responsible due to all the things they must learn to juggle at once. While in the media most student-athletes are portrayed as having bad grades, in reality, that would not be possible because students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and grades are extremely important in terms of eligibility. Student-athletes strive to keep their grades up because it is also a huge factor with college offers and just their playing time in general. The time crunch that student-athletes are on forces them to step up in terms of responsibility so that they can find a schedule to get work done as well as make sure to ask for help when needed. This can be a big responsibility, but studies prove that there are so many positive benefits of being a student-athlete that build a lot of traits that are needed for students to grow up and go into the real world. 

For my article, I chose to interview three volleyball players on our school’s team; Daijah Harris (12th Grade), Jasmine Dollente (11th Grade), and Jenny Le (10th Grade). 

Daijah Harris (12th Grade) 

1. Has playing a sport affected your grades, if so, how? 

It affected my grades in a good way because it held me accountable when I was letting something slip because I knew that if I couldn’t keep my grades up then I couldn’t play in what I enjoyed. 

2. How do you find a balance between sports and staying on top of your work? 

If I’m being honest with myself I did it poorly, but what helped me is that I tried to get all my work done in class so I don’t have homework but if I didn’t finish I would do it after my practice or at home. 

3. What is something you learned from playing sports and school? 

I learned how to work with a team and I learned that my energy can affect others. And to get things done quickly and efficiently you might need to dismiss how you feel regardless of how bad it is.

4. What is a piece of advice you would give to your younger self or anyone else juggling school and sports about finding a balance between the two? 

I would say that before you sign up for anything to make sure you have a structured schedule that you KNOW you’re going to commit to because it will get tiring and you will want to give up but if you stick with it you’ll do just fine with no stress. 

5. Did study halls before games/practices have a negative or positive impact on your grades? 

It had a positive impact because like I said before I was able to use that time to finish up work I couldn’t in class so then after a long day from school and practice on top of that I can go home and rest without worrying about homework that might be due at 11:59 that night. 

Jasmine Dollente (11th Grade) 

1. Has playing a sport affected your grades, if so, how? 

It was kinda difficult to find time to do work while having a busy schedule with school and sports along with other everyday things. 

2. How do you find a balance between sports and staying on top of your work? 

I tend to do work before practices and games as well as after games and practices, especially on weekends. 

3. What is something you learned from playing sports and school?

I’ve learned how to have better time management and learn to keep priorities straight. 

4. What is a piece of advice you would give to your younger self or anyone else juggling school and sports about finding a balance between the two? 

I would say, go at a pace you’re comfortable with yet enough to keep your grades up. your mental and personal health is more important and many people tend to forget that. 

5. Did study halls before games/practices have a negative or positive impact on your grades? 

Study hall definitely kept my grades stable and content for the most part. 

Jenny Le (10th Grade) 

1. Has playing a sport affected your grades, if so, how? 

Playing a sport has affected my grade, I barely have time at home to do work, the only time I have is before I go to sleep. I spent most of my time at the gym, and most days I get home around 7 pm or 9 pm.

2. How do you find a balance between sports and staying on top of your work? 

A way I found a balance between sports and my work is to make use of most of my time, and to ask for help when I need it, that way I won’t fall behind in my work. 

3. What is something you learned from playing sports and school? 

Something I learned from playing sports during school is that it gives us a sense of community, and allows us to be able to make friends and find trust in one another. 

4. What is a piece of advice you would give to your younger self or anyone else juggling school and sports about finding a balance between the two? 

A piece of advice I would give to anyone juggling with school work is to not waste any free time, since if you finish school work as soon as possible, you’re able to use the rest of your free time to relax. 

5. Did study halls before games/practices have a negative or positive impact on your grades? 

During volleyball, we didn’t really have study halls, but during our breaks, some of us would choose to do our homework, and I noticed that when I did my homework before my games and practices, it somewhat helped me remember what I needed to know and do the next day. 

As a student-athlete myself, I can somewhat relate to many of the responses I received from this interview. In my personal experience, playing a sport definitely kept me on top of my grades because of eligibility, and I refused to let my grades drop because I didn’t want to risk being unable to play in any games. 

Research has shown that students who participate in sports actually excel academically. It is also shown that student-athletes are more responsible, better at time management, and are also less likely to engage in drugs or drinking. Students’ participation in school, as well as attendance, improves due to the requirement of being on time and being present are looked at by coaches and athletic directors. While balancing sports and school puts student-athletes on a time crunch, they know they have only that small window of time to do their work and are less likely to procrastinate, whereas regular students who just go home after school and have too much time on their hands. Study halls are also proven to be effective on a student’s grades, it gives them an extra opportunity to focus on schoolwork before games or practices. Through my interviews, it is also revealed that student-athletes are more likely to ask for help with work when needed because they do not want to risk falling behind and jeopardizing their playing time. 

“Student-athletes manifest stronger peer relationships, better attachment with adults, higher self-esteem, a closer sense of family, and participate more in volunteerism. They are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior. They have a greater sense of initiative, persistence and personal responsibility. A survey of over 14,000 TEENS found that those who participated in team sports were less likely to use drugs, smoke cigarettes and carry weapons.“

https://www.atyourownrisk.org/benefits-of-sports/