Photo by AK Alilonu ’16 – Ben Posorske ’16 looks over a graded assignment in Ms. Maynard’s class, Nov. 6. Athlete’s rigorous practice schedules often make it difficult to find enough time for their studies.
By Andrew Howard ’17
THE ROUNDUP
There are hundreds of student athletes on campus and with busy practice schedules, they must budget their time differently than most other students.
Athletes spend a majority of their free time at practice, giving them less time to focus on homework and family.
Head football coach Mr. Scooter Molander said that if you budget your time appropriately, school can become easy, even with a busy schedule.
The football team does routine grade checks to make sure students are doing well in their classes.
“They just don’t have time to waste, they have to focus more in class, they need to communicate better … we pair our athletes up so they can support each other,” Mr. Molander said.
Cole Yandell ’17, who played three sports as a freshman and sophomore and will play two sports this year, also said time management is key to keeping control of his busy schedule.
“It can be hectic, getting home at 6 and then trying to eat, shower, do my homework and get enough sleep can be a challenge,” Yandell said.
Cade Knox ’16, who plays quarterback for the varsity football team and is an outfielder for the baseball team, talked about prioritizing homework so he can do other things outside of school too.
“You get done with practice and there are decisions you have to make, like if you want to hang out with friends or get something to eat you have to get your work done first,” Knox said.
Mr. Molander said that in high school he did not manage his time, and he didn’t take advantage of the Corona Del Sol education, which he said was one of the best in the state.
“I figured it out my last semester at Colorado State with time management, sitting in the front of the class, asking a question, making a comment every period, and getting notes from not only one person but two,” Mr. Molander said. “School is not that difficult if you have a plan and are consistent with it.”
Mr. Molander, along with many other coaches on campus, said he is flexible when it comes to missing team events for school purposes, as long as there is communication.
Yandell said that because he is a year round athlete and he has no breaks, it is even harder for him and other multi-sport athletes to manage their time.
Knox had another view of being a multi-sport athlete because you can take what you learned from one sport and apply to the next.
“It’s pretty difficult, but at the same time it’s great because he said you already have the time management skills from one sport and you can just continue to use those for the other.”
Mr. Molander and Yandell both said it is important to find time to spend with friends and family and still enjoy being in high school.
