Life of a student athlete

Abby Bailey, an eighth grader at St. Mark’s Episcopal School, divides her time between sports, schoolwork and friends.

Being a student athlete is not as easy as some might think. I have learned to balance schoolwork, sports and making time to hang out with friends. Time management is key.

I play volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring. Since I play a sport every season of the school year, my schedule is demanding. I have learned to survive by working ahead on homework, not booking up every free hour I have with friends, and, most important, showing determination.

Volleyball starts as soon as school starts. Having to juggle schoolwork and practice from 4 to 6 p.m. is more daunting than it sounds. When there are tournaments, they last all day Saturday. This means I do not have a free Saturday to relax or catch up on schoolwork. In basketball, practices go from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m.

When there are basketball games, I try to do as much of my homework as I can before the game starts because games are usually at 5 or 6 p.m. Softball, on the other hand, always starts later, so I have more time to get my work done. Games are usually at 7:30 p.m., and practices are on Sunday afternoons. However, in tournament softball, there are two practices a week, and the tournaments last almost all weekend.

All-weekend tournaments sound fun and exciting, but when combined with fatigue and backed-up work, they can create stress. Even though this gets hard, my recently developed time-management skills help my academic performance and my athletic career. If I choose to become a student athlete in high school, I have become more disciplined to juggle both tasks effectively.

I have also learned how to become a better teammate and how to be a good sport. Demonstrating good sportsmanship on the field and on the court helps unite teams. I love being on teams in which everyone is respectful to each other and to opponents.

I am happy as a student athlete because it makes me work hard for what I want, and I have learned important lessons along the way.

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