School, sports, eat, sleep. And somehow manage to squeeze in homework somewhere.

This is the grueling routine of the average student athlete at the high school. Time management is a major issue for high school students, and it is debatable whether sports impede or facilitate this task.

Although juggling sports and school work may be time-consuming, I strongly believe having a busy schedule has more positives than negatives.

As soon as the sports season ends, I see a noticeable decline in how productive I am with my time. There’s no urgency to finish my work because my mindset is that I have more time to complete it. Ironically, the additional hours that I now have free seem to hurt me rather than help me. I see myself using that time to procrastinate as opposed to completing my work. I am not alone in this position.

“During the season I am better at managing my time, as I know I don’t have the three or five hours that I used for the sport,” sophomore Andrew Chabon, who played on the junior varsity football team this fall, said. “But, when the offseason comes along, I feel overconfident and procrastinate because I know I have those extra hours.”

From my experience in the sports I have participated in, such as lacrosse and soccer, coaches see school as a priority and try to do what they can to ensure the success of their students.

My coaches are understanding when players arrive late to practice because they had to make up tests or meet with teachers. Other athletes have had a similar experience.

“When we had night games for soccer, the coaches would make sure that we found a room at the high school that we could work in before the game,” freshman Charlie Widing, who played on the boys varsity soccer team this fall, said.

Sophomore Matthew Haig, who participated in cross country, agreed that coaches put in effort into making time management an easier task for athletes.

“Even when meets run late, I am able to complete homework while others are competing,” Haig said.

Participating in a high school sport may be daunting due to the time commitment it brings with it. However, sports provide me with motivation and a sense of eye-opening urgency that helps me be a more productive and efficient worker with a focus that is not present during the offseason.

Sofia Georgaklis can be contacted at [email protected]