Wooster creates a learning environment that gives students constant opportunities for academic and athletic growth. Students are required to participate in at least one team sport a year and have practice from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. each day. With this, students are required to develop their time management and prioritization skills to balance their athletics, school, and personal lives.
Football, basketball, and lacrosse Captain Sean ’26 said the best way to balance time is through communication.
“Recognizing when you have games and communicating with your teachers properly is a big factor,” he said. ‘“They’re all really supportive, and because everyone is so involved on campus, they understand what you are doing.”
With that, the importance of routine and knowing how his school’s workload will vary in size is just as essential. While some weeks might be easier to shift focus into his athletics, he always has to understand that it cannot be an every-week mindset. With tests and projects, it’s important to stay aware of those obligations as well. To stay on top of his work, he makes sure to utilize the tools Wooster gives him and the free periods in his schedule. While he still makes time to laugh and talk with his friends, he also understands that he has responsibilities, and sometimes those have to come before his own wants.
Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis captain Kathryn ’26 said that she tries to get as much work done on the bus that she can. While during away games it might be difficult trying to switch her mind from sports mode to school mode, it has saved her a significant amount of time, utilizing her hour-long bus rides.
“I try to limit my screen time and get done what I can in the time that I am home,” she said. Nowadays, social media, TV, and video games have become so addictive that people don’t realize how much time they spend staring at their screens. Kathryn will continue to stay mindful of her device usage to help balance her time between her sports and schoolwork.
Many students at Wooster play multiple sports. Each trimester is a new team, playing a new sport with new rules. Underclassman Dayden ’29 plays soccer, basketball, and runs track. Despite the time and effort he puts into all his sports, he still has a favorite: basketball. Dayden struggles to balance his time with his sports. He often gets home late from practices and games just to remember he forgot to finish a school assignment due the next day. This feeling of exhaustion can wear someone out throughout their day. They end up having to try and organize a schedule in their head of when to get things done, while having complete focus on the game at hand. For Dayden, the stress and overwhelm don't compete for his love of basketball. His motivation to get his work done and strive to be the best athlete he can be builds on his passion for basketball. For him, no school assignment or test could ever take away his love for basketball. The game itself is what makes being a student-athlete so worth it.
Charlotte ’27 runs cross country, plays basketball, and plays lacrosse. While she loves her sports and teammates, she did mention how tiring it can be constantly going back and forth between athletics and academics. Not only physically feeling tired, but mentally having to focus and hold oneself to standards each day of the week. Being a student athlete is so rewarding when the hard work pays off, but the feeling of disappointing yourself, whether in the classroom or on the field, takes a heavy mental toll.
“I get overwhelmed pretty frequently,” she said. “But I think Wooster is really special in the way that we get so much teacher support. Since the community is so tightly knit, all teachers understand that athletes have a lot on their plate, and so if I ever need extra help because I missed a class for a game or something, the teachers are always there for me.”
I, myself, participate in three different sports. I constantly get told I overbook myself and never give my body a chance to rest. But, similar to all schoolmates, I can’t see myself being who I am now without those extracurricular activities. I know what it feels like to be unsure where to start when I have a presentation and a test due the next day, and all I want to do is sleep after having a game where I know I didn’t play my best. That feeling of no direction is a reason so many student-athletes quit. Yet, winning a game with my teammates who have become some of my closest friends, and working with my teachers to give a presentation I feel confident in, is a reminder of why I began these activities in the first place.
Despite the time and commitment required, every student-athlete agreed they had no regrets about playing multiple sports and balancing school. Each person has formed a routine that works for them, and when they catch themselves struggling, they find new solutions to overcome the challenges. The friends they've made, the skills they've learned, no stress can compete with the love they have for being a student athlete.
