Are After School Sports Too Much For Students?

Almost all of the seasonal sports at South have required after or before school practices every day.  From balancing homework to pushing themselves too hard as athletes, the question of whether or not this is too much for students is on the rise.

Lauren Arensberg, a freshman on the Junior Varsity Volleyball team, has over 12 hours of practice every week.  

Arensberg said, “Two and a half hour practices every day takes a lot out of you, and it would be nice to get a break sometimes.” 

Other students like Shea Worley, a Sophomore on the Varsity Cross Country team agree with Arensberg. 

Worley said she “enjoys getting better” but also believes that “it would be really nice to get a day off once in a while.”

Both athletes are also a part of clubs or activities that they are a part of outside of school, which takes up a lot of time that they that they would like to have to focus on school work.  It also takes up time that they would like to have to spend time with their friends and families.

When volleyball players do miss a practice however, with few exceptions, “we have a consequence every time, and if we miss a practice before a game we have to sit out the whole game,” said Arensberg.  “I like to practice but it gets really stressful and tiring by the end of every week.”

Other students, like Briley Goff, senior, however, do not feel as overwhelmed by the amount of practice they have every day.  

“It keeps me in shape and working hard,” Goff said. “It also helps me meet a lot of people that I wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

Goff also finds ways to get most of her school work done during tutorial and free time in classes so that she doesn’t have as much school work to complete at home.  

All three athletes agree that the hard work is worth it.  

“My teammates and wanting to be successful pushes me to keep going,” Worley said. 

The players are also spending time with these girls every single day of the school week and wanting to be there for them pushes them as athletes as well.

 “I just really don’t want to let my teammates and coaches down,” says Arensberg. “We all work really hard to keep going.”