From waking up at 6:00 and arriving to school by 7:15 until class instruction concludes at 2:45, the school day is non-stop for Olympic Heights students.  For student athletes, however, their day isn’t over as sports practice typically begins right after school and continues until 6:00 pm. Even after a twelve-hour day including a school-sanctioned sports practice, many athletes head straight to travel/club practice, finally returning home around 9:30 pm.  This leaves a small window of time for student athletes to shower, eat, do their homework, and study for upcoming tests: Many athletes work until midnight just to accomplish all their responsibilities.

This non-stop action may seem impossible, but this is reality for most high school student athletes. At Olympic Heights, many students successfully balance academics and sports. It’s hard to appreciate and understand the dedication, commitment, and hard work that goes into the daily grind that it takes to be a successful athlete and proficient student.

The workload and pressure teens encounter is intense, even more so for those involved in extracurricular activities. Balancing these pressures does not come easily for the vast majority of student athletes, but after years of strategic time management and hard work, many student athletes have it down to a science. In order to excel, these teens must prioritize, organize, and plan for each day, week, and athletic season. For example, sideline and competitive OH cheerleaders dedicate hours of time to practicing their routines, staying late on weekdays, and sometimes even weekends. In order to excel, they have to prioritize school while simultaneously balance a sport.   

Prioritizing work in order of importance and deadlines can be very helpful. Knowing what needs to be completed first helps athletes to stay organized for late nights and helps eliminate last-minute cramming. Working ahead during the week is necessary for nights where there may be less work or more time required for the sport.

For many, using a planner is a power move as planning is essential. Seeing all of one’s jobs and tasks laid out in front of them can be stressful, but there is great satisfaction and relief when crossing off one of the completed tasks. Emma Alcalay, a junior and multi-sport varsity athlete who is at the top of the class of 2027, shares her planning techniques to stay ahead of the game. Every single Sunday, she sets aside 10-15 minutes and writes out her week in her planner. She records what she needs to complete and other important responsibilities such as games, practices, assignments, quizzes, and tests to ensure she doesn’t miss anything.  “The key to a smooth week is laying out everything important right in front of me,” Alcalay states. “I like to check things off as I go.”

Mental and physical health is extremely important, so above all, these student athletes make time to dedicate to themselves. Setting aside time to decompress is vital to stay balanced and strong. Along with mental decompression, sleep and proper diet are critical to successfully keep up with this fast-paced lifestyle. It’s also important to carve out time for friends and family, which can alleviate stress and serve as a reminder to prioritize the little things in life that bring us joy.  Occasionally this balance can be hard to find. “Sometimes, I have to say no plans with friends to catch up on work or pick up an extra shift,” Jessica Teixeira, senior and varsity volleyball player, reveals. Learning how to prioritize helps Teixeira balance academics and sports and personal time.  

By learning to manage practice, games, and school – along with balancing friends, family and other responsibilities like a job – student athletes can be successful at everything they do. It is challenging yet rewarding at the same time. Being a successful student athlete is anything but easy, yet every day OH student athletes put in the work on and off campus to reach new heights in both their academics and their sports.