On any given day, students come home from school with homework for up to eight classes. BAK Middle School of the Arts is a demanding school due to its rigorous programs and high academic expectations. So, it’s not surprising that many students give up their time to practice their sports to finish their homework.
“I have softball and volleyball practices, as well as dance classes. I also have homework every day, so it’s a lot to manage,” said sixth-grade, dance major Emerson Phal.
Like Phal, many BAK students want to play sports while also excelling in their classes. This makes it difficult to fit after school activities into their schedules, but somehow, they find a way.
“I play so much and I’m trying to get good at such a young age,” said seventh-grade, theatre major Grayson White. “I have to also focus on the schoolwork, so it’s kind of hard to manage both sometimes.”
To help students balance sports and homework, they find strict daily strategies like using small pockets of time such as car rides or study halls at school.
Other key strategies include using planners for assignments, setting aside dedicated study time, minimizing distractions like phones, and communicating with coaches regarding academic responsibilities.
“I always try to get my schoolwork done during class so I don’t have much to do after school [because] soccer takes up most of my time after school. I also ride Tri-Rail so I have time on the train to do [homework],” White said.
While sports clubs and teams offer great opportunities for students to enjoy their sports and stay in shape, other students find their physical education classes another way to get their exercise in through a mix of warm-ups, creative games, and high-intensity workouts.
Student athletes also take electives to help them do homework during school.
“Critical Thinking class helps me with my homework [because] I do have volleyball and softball practice on the same days. Usually it’s on critical thinking days. I’m able to switch my schedule for my practices sometimes if I need to so that helps a lot,” Phal said.
Putting academics first is a struggle for some, even if they create a daily routine, including designated blocks for homework and, in some cases, breaking assignments into smaller, manageable, or timed tasks.
“I practice after I get my school stuff done. Academics always comes first for me, so if you feel like you can’t do your academics while doing sports at the same time, you should take a little bit off your plate,” Phal recommended.
Lots of students get their homework done as soon as possible and end up not procrastinating. This also allows them to enjoy school.
“I try to prioritize all my schoolwork over soccer [because] I have seven practices a week so it’s hard. But I always try to get my homework done,” White added.
For those students who don’t know if they will be successful balancing the act between academics and athletics, and are not sure where to start, the best advice student athletes can give is simply, try.
“Take little steps at first and then you’ll get better,” said White.
Bak students like White have found that while it is important to be academically successful, athletics are crucial for their wellbeing, as it makes them well-rounded students, enhances their cognitive skills, fosters discipline, keeps them healthy, and best of all, it adds lots of fun to their lives–before, during, and after school.
