Many students choose to participate in sports. However, the time commitment and added requirements can prove stressful and difficult to manage. The Banner interviewed student athletes about their experiences to find out the difficulties and rewards of participating in sports, as well as any tips they may have learned along the way. Below are the responses of junior Annika Ayer for varsity lacrosse, junior Laney O’Shea for varsity cross country, junior Marisa Cohen for crew, and freshman Tasha Greene for varsity cross country.

1. How did you get started in your sport? What do you like about it?

AA: I began playing lacrosse in 7th grade at Welsh Valley. I don’t really remember the reason why I started, but one day I just woke up and was like, “I really want to play lacrosse!” I made my parents buy me a stick, face guard, and mouth guard, and that was that! I have loved it ever since. I like it because I know there is still so much for me to learn and it is fun to work at something with a goal of improvement.

LO: My friend dragged me to the first cross country meeting when I was in 8th grade. I didn’t think I was going to do it, because I was pretty into soccer at the time, but I went to the meeting and they said there were lots of food and summer practices. I figured I could train with the team during the summer and hopefully get a sub 8-minute mile so that I could make varsity soccer. I trained with them all summer but by fall I still felt like I could not beat this time. However, I liked running with the team and they told me I would make varsity cross country that season if I worked hard enough, so I decided if I was too slow to make varsity soccer I might as well do XC. I have run track since middle school and I just got into it because it was something to do. I switched to distance in freshman year. I got a stress fracture coming off of cross country and went into indoor track thinking I’d be doing the 200-meter dash. I was a good 200 runner but once I recovered I realized that I missed long runs. I switched to distance halfway through indoor and never went back. I like running because it’s the fairest sport: you get out of it what you put into it, and the times will never lie. Sure, natural talent comes into play, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what place you’re in, just how much you’ve improved.

MC: I joined the team in 9th grade because my friend’s sister told me that the crew team needed short people to be coxswains.

TG: I have been running track since fourth grade, and have always loved running longer events like the mile. I thought that coming into high school, cross country would be a good “step up” from track, and a good way to stay in shape and meet new people.

2. What kind of classes do you have to juggle in addition to your sport?

AI: I juggle IB in addition to soccer and club lacrosse. It definitely is a lot to handle, especially with the workload of my IB and AP classes.

LO: I’m a junior in the IB program so I spend a lot of time rushing through homework.

MC: I juggle IB classes. They are hard.

TG: I knew that my workload would definitely increase from middle school to high school, as I am taking all honors classes. It can get tough sometimes to balance my work in addition to cross country. I am usually up very late with work, after I have practice or a meet.

3. How many hours of sleep would you say you get a night?

AI: About 6-7.

LO: My worst nights are around four hours and my best are around seven.

MC: 6-7 hours of sleep.

TG: I definitely do not get as much sleep as I should. I typically get anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

4. Any tips for balancing school, sports, friends, and sleep?

AI: Just be really organized. It is easy to get caught up in sports and ignore or forget your schoolwork, but it is important to stay on top of that. Talk to your coaches if you have concerns.

LO: I try to get as much work as possible done on Sundays. It’s a rest day, so I don’t have to worry about practice and I’m usually pretty well rested from the weekend.

MC: Do your homework.

TG: I always try to get my work done ahead of time. When a teacher assigns a paper or a big project, I try not to wait until the week before to complete it. That way, I have more time to focus on running and hang out with my friends.

5. What do you think are some of the advantages or perks of being a student-athlete?

LO: Being part of a team gives you a support system and a place to escape from school and other stresses of the world. It’s also really rewarding to accomplish your goals.

TG: There are so many great things about being a student athlete. Over the course of this cross country season, I have gotten so close with all of the girls on my team. Coming from a school outside of the district, it was definitely a great way to meet new people. Being a student-athlete also teaches you how to manage your time, which is an important life skill.