For student athletes, balancing sports with school can be a struggle. Whether they don’t have the time after school to finish the work they need to, or are tired from practice, it can be hard for students to manage having the responsibility of being a student along with their sport.

According to a study by Ohio University, 31 % of students in the United States feel overwhelmed by stress, for a variety of factors, the main one being school, with other factors including homework and sports.

Sports aren’t always the cause of stress for students, for some students it can help them deal with the stress that school puts on them.

“I’m relieved that school is over, and I really look forward to going to practices and games. School ties up my brain, but when I play I feel free,” 8th grade, competitive soccer player, Angie Sciacca, expresses.

Even though sports can help students cope with stress, they can also be a primary cause of it.

“Well when I’m in school and not on the field, I just think about how my grades are gonna stay good enough for me to continue to play,” freshman, Kareem Gillisslee, stated. “I don’t really worry much about the field till I’m on the field.”

Managing school and sports is difficult according to some student athletes, but for some it can help them in the long run. Depending on the sport and coach, students must have a certain GPA to stay on the team, giving them no choice but to focus in school and get good grades. The same goes for getting in trouble- suspensions and detentions can result in being removed from the team.

“It’s tough, but at the end of the day, it’s something you want to be part of, and in order to do that you need to maintain good grades and keep up with school” 8th grade cheerleader, Alondra Medina, states. “Responsibilities come with the cheerleading title, because not only do you represent the players, you represent the school, this takes a lot of time and effort and it teaches you a lot.”

Some students feel that playing sports can teach them things that they can carry over into school life and the real word. Learning to practice discipline, respect, and time are a few values that some student athletes while being on sports teams.

“Sports teaches me to be patient and work together even if you don’t work well with a person,” Sciacca says.