BALANCING sports and staying on top of school may not be hard if the sport is truly important to the student. Some students will be willing to push themselves harder than others just so they can play the sport they love. The fear of being benched at games motivates students to complete their assignments and get good grades. It’s critical for students to have a goal and a reason for what they’re doing.

Kieshawn Johnson (12) is a receiver for the Granger High School football team. He’s been playing football since he was seven years old, and it’s something he would like to continue to do in college. His practice goes through Monday-Wednesday and starts at 5:30 p.m. and finishes at 8:00 p.m. “We usually have study hall for football after school at 3:00 p.m., so we do homework and worry about football after, it’s kinda easy to stay on top of both,” Johnson said.

Geraldine Sanchez (12), a dancer for the Granger High School dance company team, feels that it can be challenging at times if students are not communicating their struggles with their teachers. A big aspect of trying to balance school and sports is communication, and many athletes quickly learn how to hold themselves accountable. This is Sanchez’s first year on Granger’s dance company team, and her practices are everyday after school. Her 4th period on B days is also dance company, and that goes until 3:30 p.m. We asked Sanchez for some advice for other student athletes. “Try and get things done when they are given to you. If you are assigned an assignment try to finish as much as you can in that class period and not slack off, so you don’t have to do it at home and worry about it,” Sanchez said.

Many students try to figure out how to make sure they are getting everything done on time. Melissa Zavala (12) plays right wing for the Granger High School soccer team. Melissa’s practices are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Game days are Tuesday and Thursday, and they usually run from 3:00-7:00 p.m. “It’s not really hard to balance sports and school, that’s only because I have a set schedule from the time we get to school, and the time we get out and the time practice starts and gets done,” Zavala said.

School can be challenging as is, and adding a sport on top of it can make things even harder. It’s important for athletes to find a balance in order to continue doing both school and sports. It can be anything as simple as writing down a list of things that need to be done, or simply communicating with teachers. Students need to find the reason they are doing what they are, so they can continue to push themselves in order to continue to play the sport they love.