As a teenager in 2024, I feel like sometimes I'm more athlete than student. Spending countless hours weekly in practices, at games, or at pasta parties, I sometimes spend more time doing soccer related activities in the day than I do school related activities.
At school, I'm in class waiting for soccer after school. Reading and completing my gameplan to be prepared for the game, while drinking countless bottles of water to avoid cramping later on. Always looking for my teammates in the hallway or texting them throughout the day, not about school but about soccer later.
When I'm not in school or worrying about soccer, I'm at a pasta party with the team or doing some other form of team bonding. It seems every weekend I spend hours or nights with the team, and after every game we go out and get food.
I don’t know how I keep my good grades. Everyday straight to practice after school like it's my job. If I'm lucky I have an early release and can go home and take a thirty minute nap. But come 5:30 when I'm finally done with practice, I haven't had time to do anything yet—haven't eaten dinner, haven't showered, haven't talked to my friends or family, haven’t relaxed, haven’t even thought about homework or studying for a second. Not to mention, most nights I have other commitments after practice, supporting my friends at their sporting events, going and watching my brother play college soccer, or even going to scout out other soccer teams for high school and college.
When I finally have time to sit down and think about school, I am so drained I have no thought to put effort into my work. Getting home from an away game at 9:00 p.m. after not having been home since 6:30 a.m. makes me wonder, is it really worth it? But is what worth it? Soccer or school? Is it worth putting less effort into the thing I love to painstakingly do more in school? Is it worth forgetting about grades completely and focusing on soccer? At the end of the day I ask myself that question, but somehow I never have an answer. The cycle just keeps repeating itself over and over again making me who I am. A student athlete.