3-Sport Athlete POV
Angel Soper ‘21
December 10, 2020
Confidence, stamina, performance under pressure, discipline, motivation, interpersonal communication skills, job skills, time management…..these are many of the benefits of being in a high school sport.
But there are also many sacrifices and challenges to come with that. Students who play in sports for all three seasons of high school have a very busy schedule, and do not have a lot of time to just relax by themselves.
I wake up, go to school, after school, I usually have a practice of whatever sport, then after practice, I go to the gym, go home, eat dinner, do homework and go to bed. I sacrifice a lot of my free time: I barely have any time to do anything other than sports. — Jackson Vlietstra ‘21
Vlietstra plays football in the fall, competes and trains for triathlons in the winter and summer, and he plays baseball in the spring.
Personal time is a lot to sacrifice, but that is what many of these students are doing for sports.
I have to focus during school on schoolwork so I don’t have homework to do after practice. As well as giving up much of my social life during the week and spending most of my free time being exhausted. I cannot work very often so getting a job is put on the back burner. — Vannessa Robinson ‘21
Vannessa does volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and soccer in the spring.
A lot of high school athletes struggle to get and hold jobs when they are in sports all year, along with finding time to stay on top of school work.
The challenges are not having a lot of free time ever, normally I go right from school to sports and there is not a lot of time left once I am done to get things done like homework. — Dillen Eagle ‘21.
Eagle plays volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring.
Making time for family and friends is another huge thing some student athletes have to balance on top of sports and school.
In my life I have had to sacrifice a lot, I miss out on going to family events and hanging out with friends. When I am in sports my life revolves around them, you do not get a lot of free time. — Emma Hayward ‘23
Hayward does sideline cheer in the fall, competitive cheer in the winter, and softball in the spring.
Amongst all of these sacrifices and challenges these student athletes are facing, it also benefits them in many ways; even the challenges have benefited them greatly. Many students do sports to keep them active and in shape, and many of them form a strong love with the sport and bonds with their teammates that makes playing even more enjoyable.
Doing gymnastics has helped me be better in general and it has helped me mentally as well and it has helped me stay confident. — Charlie Truit ‘21
Truit swims in the fall, and does gymnastics year round.
Confidence is huge while in sports, it keeps you positive and makes you a better player, playing under pressure could become a lot easier.
I like how it takes my mind off of things, it’s like therapy, stress relief and I love being active and socializing and meeting new people and making new friends. — Angel Soper ‘21
Soper does cross country and sideline cheer in the fall, competitive cheer in the winter, and track in the spring.
Soper explains how it keeps her mind off of things and relieves her stress. Many students use working out and keeping their muscles moving as a coping mechanism for personal reasons.
During sports, I love the way it makes me feel, it gets me in shape. It helps a lot with keeping me on track I can keep a set schedule and not go off track. — Hayward
Clearly there are so many benefits as well as challenges when it comes to school sports, especially for the student athletes that are 3-sport athletes. It helps students stay out of trouble, keep them disciplined, it helps their mental state and allows them to easily make new friends and get out of their comfort zone. These athletes have decided the sacrifices are worth it.
