Students athletes: not all work, not all play

Student athletes not only have a large workload of homework after school, they also have practice. Student athletes from all grades and sports do not get home until around, or even after 6 o’clock at night. Already tired from hard practice, students still have their homework, as well as possibly chores and other work around the house to complete. Student-athletes are putting too much work and stress on their bodies to be a competitor in their respective sports, according to the 2013 NCAA study on student-athletes.

Many student-athletes participate in anywhere from 1- 8 honors and AP courses, including but not limited to; engineering course, honors/AP English, advanced math courses, and Honors/AP science classes as well.

For many, their fall sport is not their only activity. While it is not a sport many athletes are involved in club and activities. Such as art programs, show choir, drama, student-council and many more. Making even more work for many student-athletes.

“I do homework from the time I get home until the time I go to sleep, as well as spending my entire weekend doing work that I missed,” said Grace Erixon, junior, from girl’s golf.

Many student-athletes are also in the same predicament, of having to work from the time they get home till the time they go to bed at night.

Homework can range anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours on a daily basis. Many student-athletes are stopping work on their homework and go to sleep, due to the fact that it is so late.

“It can be as late as midnight. I cut myself off there and I’m like, I have to go to bed,” said Jessica Szynskie, sophomore, from volleyball.

Not only are student-athletes getting home between the hours of 5pm to 6pm on a regular practice day. But game days are even later. Football players, whom either play on the weekends, or when it’s a week night it after 10 o’clock at night that they are getting home.

Student-athletes miss a large their classes to compete. The women’s gold team can miss entire days of school while other fall sports miss entire blocks for games or tournaments.

“It depends, sometimes the meet is in the morning and sometimes it’s in the afternoon,” said Brianna Crouch, senior, from girls’ cross country

” I miss a block at most, depends where the game is,” said Natalie Hausman, sophomore, from softball.

After missing classes many students fell that they do not understand the material as well as they would otherwise.

” Last year I had a lot more problems with missing class,” said Corey Griffan, sophomore, from boys’ cross country.

Softball is the only fall sport that has a required study hall. Softball holds a study hall for an hour Monday through Thursday before going to practice, but no others do.

“No, tennis does not have a required study hall,” said Marc Austin Jr., a senior, from boy’s tennis.

Football has recently started having a study hall where football players are required to work on homework in the library. This was decided upon after 16 players were failing one or more classes, according to Zach Hansen, freshman, football team.

While many used to, such as volleyball, hold study halls they are now more worried about their performance as athletes then their performance as students first.