This was previously published in our December 2025 issue.
Time is a precious commodity, slowly slipping away as the sun sets after school. When one has to stay later because of a sport or attending practice an hour away, time is even harder to catch. As one progresses through high school, the classes ramp up in intensity, but so do sports.
Keeping up with both academics and sports are essential for students who want to thrive post-high school in those two realms. But how are these time consuming activities managed in a world where keeping busy is found in everyday life?
“I have either eight or nine practices a week. I have two before school, five after school every day a week, and then one on Saturdays,” junior and swimmer at Emmaus High School Carson Mosel said. “I have found that it is quite challenging during the week to get work done, especially after school, with not having a lot of time to get good sleep.”
When placed in a position where you are spending half the day at practice and the other half at school, trying to find time to get work done and relax can be a struggle. That doubles for student athletes with AP and honors classes. There’s a lot of work outside of the classroom that needs to be completed by certain deadlines.
“Finding time to study is a bit challenging. There’s no assigned homework per se, but there’s lots of practice problems
that you should do if you want to get a good grade on the test,” Mosel said. “It’s hard to find time to do all of them while swimming.”
There are opportunities to get some of the work done while at EHS, those being study halls. Study halls allow for students to have a free block that they can use to get ahead of work or even just for a brain break, but it creates a time to get classwork completed.
“I drive so far away for practice, and also with traveling because I go to Trinidad, and I go to different states for games,” junior and soccer player Giuliana Meyer said. “So, even if it’s just using my study hall, I can get a lot of work done and I feel like that helps me a lot.”
It’s essential to find a time management strategy that will help lower the stress and ensure success within school and sports. Some of these strategies can be utilizing a planner, making to do lists, and using a calendar. But when it comes to studying, it can be hard when there is
not an abundance of time.
“Studying in little bits helps so much more than just studying right before, and in 20-30 minute periods,” sophomore and
soccer player London Barrett said. “Just study in little pieces and give yourself breaks if you need it. That’s my best strategy.”
By utilizing time in homerooms and study halls to get extra help from teachers, athletes have found it has saved them more time at night and allows them to go to sleep earlier instead of staying up late studying. Talking with other teammates and students helps athletes stay updated
on missed classwork.
“I have two other boys on the swim team in that class [AP Physics C Mechanics], and I can just text them. They are always willing to teach me how to do something or give me the notes I missed,” Mosel said.
Balancing sports and academics equally throughout the school year can be difficult, but finding the perfect ways to manage time will help keep athletes successful.
“If you’re very passionate about your sport, don’t lose hope and don’t quit on it,” Meyer said. “Find something that can help you manage your time.”
