Students take from high school what they put into high school. And students who push themselves to get high grades in hard classes as well as participate in varsity sports are doing just this.
Senior Hannah Grant, a gymnast, Cornell commit, and enrolled in six AP and/or ECE classes, says, “I wouldn’t change anything. Though the past four years haven’t been the easiest, they’ve set me up for an amazing future with this opportunity I have at Cornell. The challenges that I’ve faced have given me the foundation to navigate college as a student-athlete and life as a whole.”
Junior Levi Steinhaus, a varsity soccer player, and enrolled in four AP classes agrees with Hannah: “I think that it is worth it to take challenging classes while playing a sport because my goal is to go to a good college, so I need to challenge myself to achieve that goal.” Both Hannah and Levi agree it is worth it for their future and college opportunities.
Most excelling students agree that it is all worth it. Junior Amayah Forest-Smalls, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field participant, and enrolled in three AP classes says, “Honestly, I like my schedule. It keeps me moving around and helps teach me skills like scheduling my day out and managing hard classes while also participating in extracurricular activities.”
If you were to ask these students if they ever want to change their heavy schedules, they would most likely say something similar to Bronson Leone. A senior, varsity cross country and track runner, enrolled in five AP classes. Bronson explains, “I do wish my schedule could slow down sometimes, but I simultaneously am aware that some pressure can be a very motivating feeling in order to do everything that I have to do each day.”
While intelligence and knowledge are necessary, a huge part of fitting everything in and excelling at managing time. Most of the students enrolled in multiple AP classes as well as involved in varsity sports have time management tactics to set them up for success. A tactic that stood out was getting work done in study hall or during slow classes.
Senior Jameson Smith, varsity soccer player, enrolled in two AP classes says, “I try to get most of my work done in school, sometimes I have Spanish that takes a while at home, but mostly I get my work done in slow classes or study hall.”
Junior Mason Huoppi, varsity swimmer, enrolled in four AP classes agrees, “I try to use any free time during school either in study hall or slower classes, but I try to do the majority of my work during the weekend or on weekdays after school. Although, the majority of the time, I leave some of my shorter homework to do during the school day.”
The work that students get done during the day gives them a little more time to focus on things other than school after school hours. This kind of tactic is common among heavy work load students and varsity athletes.
Another thing all these students have in common is who pushes them to do the most: themselves. Forest-Smalls says, “I feel the pressure to be perfect comes from myself. I hold myself to a very high standard and want to make sure I use high school as a place to learn and grow and adapt well into the real world.”
Steinhaus agrees, “Most of the pressure that I have comes from myself; I hold high standards for myself and I put pressure on myself to excel in school.”
Grant feels the same, “I definitely put the pressure on myself. Obviously my parents and my coaches want me to perform the best I can, but I’m the one that gets upset over slight mistakes or underperforming. I’ve actually had to have conversations with my coaches about the pressure and expectations I put on myself.”
A lot of these students set themselves up with many options for beyond high school, but the process to get there is not easy. One of the most successful students at our school has struggled in previous years. Grant’s success has no doubt made all her work worth it, but that does not mean it has been easy. In freshman and sophomore year, Hannah struggled to keep her motivation thriving within her sport: “I did consider quitting gymnastics. My underperformance had a pretty detrimental effect on my mental health and confidence in the sport for the next couple of years.”
Overwhelming thoughts like these are common, but all these students get through, pushing themselves past their limits to excel in every possible way. Bronson Leone says, For me, quitting my sport or dropping classes has never been an option because I am confident in my abilities to overcome stress and pressure. I would 100% take the same classes and participate in the same sports as I always have. Although my schedule is busy, it is one that I love and can enjoy each day.”
Succeeding in high school sports and academics does not happen by chance, hard work and time management are necessary components. Other students just might not see it.
