Tales of Tenth Grade

Being a student-athlete is one of the best things in high school. You get to be a part of a team, make new friends, and have the opportunity to do something that you love. However, it is very difficult to maintain good grades while also competing in athletics at a high level. Student-athletes looking to maintain good grades and become a collegiate athlete have to deal with multiple hours a day of sports practice. Certain sports have practice for up to three hours a day! While it may seem like a lot, all of this practice is necessary just to keep up with the competition. This is compounded with multiple hours of weight lifting and stamina training expected to be done outside of designated practice times to maintain the athletic ability required for athletic activity. On top of all of this is school, homework, and studying. Student-athletes are expected to maintain good grades along with practicing for multiple hours a day. All of these put together leads to either a lack of focus in ei...

The summer before Freshmen year, almost everyone I knew was beyond excited to start a high school sport. A few of my friends had decided to play field hockey although they've never played before. I was heisitate to follow in their footsteps but made the bold decision of playing. This was one of the best decisions I've ever made. At the start of Freshmen year, I already had a handful of new friends that I met on the team, both in my grade and upperclassmen. I started midfield on JV and feel in love with the sport. During the offseason, I participated in various winter and summer clinics along with deciding to play another sport I've never played before, lacrosse. What was different about lacrosse was that some people had years of experience while others had none. This is why I enjoyed field hockey as much as I did because all the girls in my grade who joined had zero experience. This made everything fair and allowed endless room for us to get better. ...

Studying and doing homework till 11:30 PM, waking up at 5:30 AM, sitting through 7 hours of pretty boring classes- then repeating this all over again. I think we can all agree: going to school isn't the most fun thing ever, but I mean it is mandatory in order to have a future. And while school isn't a ton of fun, every single day I look forward to one part; SPORTS. In the fall I play volleyball, which is probably the most fun sport i've ever played. I love the connection that you build with all of your friends while also getting better at a sport you love. Right now my team is 7-1 and we hope to make it the rest of the season without losing! In the fall I play basketball- while it may be a very tiring and exhausting sport, all of the work is defietly worth it when you're playing. The basketbal coach is Coach Wille who is by far one of the best coaches that I have ever had- she makes practices and games fun while also pushing us to be a better player mentally and physi...

Coming into freshman year, I had no idea what to expect. In the previous three years, I had been going to school at Pope John High School right across town in Sparta. It wasn't my favorite overall, and in eighth grade, I made the decision to come back to Sparta Public Schools. Although I know I made the right choice, the nerves were definitely building up. I was going to have to find my way through a new school with all new people. This also meant I had to make new friends. Luckily, my friends that I had had before I left for Pope John, accepted me back into their group and made me feel like I had never left. I'll always be thankful for them. The best thing I could've done was join the soccer team at Sparta High School. With all of the running and hard work, it also came with new friends. The only people I knew were my old friends from before I left Sparta. It was a blessing to meet all of the upperclassman and sophomores that I now consider my sisters. Not only did soccer...