Going back to school is stressful enough. Add in sports, clubs, and a social life and you have yourself a jam packed schedule with not much extra time to study. School participation in sports is at an all time high, with a majority of the student population participating in one or more sports. Sports unite our community and embrace what the heart of academy is: a sisterhood.

Managing your time is a key factor in the success of all our student athletes. Maintaining good grades during your sport season can be hard at times but with some tips and tricks, even you can manage to study around your busy schedule.

Maddie Matesich, a four year Jaguarette, says that it is key to make use of your study halls, times that you have before practice, and any free time that you are given throughout the day. Planning ahead is another important factor to reach success. Matesich highlighted that, “some game nights can go really late, so it’s helpful to have most of my work done beforehand.” Overall, Matesich states that sports has been beneficial to her development here at the Academy helping her gain friendships from girls on the squad that she may not have known if not for becoming a Jaguarette.

Camille Opp, a three year starter for the Varsity Volleyball team agrees with Matesich acknowledging that managing sports and academics is hard, but that the block scheduling “has helped out tremendously.”  Block scheduling began at Academy three years ago and has been a true success. Camille’s main motto about schoolwork is “DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!” Procrastination gets everyone at one point or another but it is key to try and avoid at all costs. Overall, Opp says that through playing sports she has learned what hardwork truly means both in the classroom and on the court.

Lindsey Perez, a sophomore on the Academy basketball team, agrees with Opp stating that the block schedule makes time management much easier to finish homework and study, especially with the built in study halls. Her advice is “its always better to get a head start on an assignment than to wait until the very last minute.”

If you are going to take away any advice from these three athletes, the key criteria they describe to reaching success during your sports season is to be proactive and stay on task with your assignments and tests. Staying organized and getting ahead of the game will drive you toward success both in your sport and with your academics.

Overall, athletes learn many skills from participating on a team other than just the skills for that sport. These three Academy students are just a few examples where focus, hard work and determination enable individuals to successfully manage time and excel at what they do.