At Sacred Heart Cathedral, sports play a significant role in the community. With 56 teams in 23 sports, SHC has over 700 student athletes, which is over half the total student body! Being an athlete at SHC entails a lot more than just the sports themselves, it also includes managing the components of being a student-athlete: balancing the sport team itself and the often vigorous and time-consuming educational aspect of it.
Due to practices every day after school and early dismissal for games, student athletes may miss a significant amount of class time as well as time dedicated to office hours. Although SHC teachers are helpful and accommodating, it takes a toll on students’ academic performance throughout the season. Varsity Soccer Captain Gabi Cameron ‘26 shares that she sometimes has to “turn in assignments late because I missed class due to early dismissal;” however, all of her teachers are “very understanding” and for the most part, her grades have not been negatively impacted. Even though Cameron has a morning class and soccer practices every day after school, she still finds time to talk with her teachers and go to office hours, requiring much student initiative.
Varsity Swimmer, Peri Kloes 27’ discussed how she is able to design a schedule that works for her student life. If it is urgent, she attends office hours, especially being that her swim coaches are “understanding of her situation.” She highlights that her teachers urge her to prioritize school, but never penalize her for sport conflicts she cannot control and that they are “there for support” when it comes to balancing school and swimming. She additionally mentions that she swims in the off-season, so her routine is “usually solidified” when the spring season comes around.
Another factor to consider is whether sleep is affected during sports seasons. Peri explains that her sleep schedule is not typically affected, unless she has morning practices. When morning practices begin, she has to wake up at 5:30 once a week. This does affect her schedule, but she can usually work around it. Once she adjusts to going to bed earlier on those days, she still maintains her usual 7 hours of sleep, allowing her to operate efficiently.
Overall, students are typically able to easily manage school and sport obligations. Teachers are empathetic towards student’s unavoidable sports conflicts, and they push them to stay vigilant with their academics by aiding them during office hours, and working closely with students to help them catch up with any missed work. Although sleep schedules may be affected by practices, students are usually able to create a schedule that balances both vital responsibilities. Sports and academics are indispensable to Sacred Heart Cathedral’s identity, therefore it is important that our community fosters an environment in which managing both is possible.
Student Athlete Checklist:
- Get at least 7 hours of sleep.
- Make sure to check in with teachers about missing class.
- Start homework the day it’s assigned, when possible.
- Keep a planner so you know when to do each homework assignment.
- Make sure to stretch on and off the field.
- Eat balanced meals and snacks.
- Make time for friends and family.
- Drink water consistently throughout the day.
