With dozens of high schools sports played across districts each season, developing a schedule that effectively balances school days with nighttime games can be nearly impossible and oftentimes results in early dismissals for many student athletes. While different from sport to sport, some students are forced to miss up to three consecutive days of class time for sport-related activities.
The juggling act that comes with being a full-time high school student as well as an athlete isn’t so uncommon at South, and many students have been forced to adapt to fit their very demanding daily schedules, such as Girls Varsity Golf Captain Cate Hampton ’24.
“It makes it a lot harder to learn the material if you have a hard class that hour (you are gone),” Hampton said. “I know people on the team had AP classes that hour, and if you’re missing classes you find difficult, it can be a lot of work.”
Hampton said that, during the fall golf season, she would leave early for matches often three times a week, missing her complete seventh hour class as well as a portion of sixth hour.
“Junior year my seventh hour was AP Micro(economics), and I think golf is the reason that I failed that class,” Hampton said. “It was just so hard to make up.”
Despite the challenges that come with missing class for golf, Hampton said she has found that sometimes having a break from school can actually be beneficial.
“Sometimes I feel like people just need a break from class, and this gives you an excuse to take a break,” Hampton said. “For golf specifically, the earlier we leave school, the earlier we finish off, and I’d rather get that done sooner and have a little bit of school that I have to make up.”
Counselor Jennifer Vick has held her position for about 10 years and has seen the challenge sports can create for students over time. However, Vick said these challenges are outweighed by the skills students learn participating in sports.
“Overall, the research supports that students who are involved in (sports) generally tend to fare better academically,” Vick said. “I think, certainly it can be a challenge, but there are also a lot of pros that can come of it. You have to get really good at managing your time.”
Vick said that sports also offer students involvement and a sense of community that’s invaluable, and makes the balancing act worth it. Hampton herself has noticed this in her time playing golf, and it’s what motivates her to continue playing each year.
“Having a good environment surrounding the sport really helps make up for missing school so much,” Hampton said. “It makes it worth it because I’m not missing school for something I hate; I’m missing school for something I love to do.”
