‘In the term student athlete, student always comes first’
Sports have always played an important role in my academic life. I learned focus, determination, and punctuality during my time as an athlete. I have used these characteristics to succeed all throughout my educational journey. Constantly practicing my swing or my shot has given me the consistency and patience that studying for an exam requires. Being an athlete has aided me in becoming the best student I can be. I think sports have helped my education because it has given me a support system and has taught me how to overcome challenges.
As I began to start participating in school sports, I realized how time consuming it was. Starting from nine years old I have played three sports, volleyball, basketball, and so ball. Practicing ve days a week for two hours a er school made it di cult for me to keep up with my schoolwork at rst. However, coaches and teammates were constantly encouraging me to keep up with my academic life rst and be an athlete second. “In the term student athlete, student always comes rst,” is what everyone told me. Consequently, I made it my priority to prosper in my academic life so I could keep playing sports.
Playing sports has allowed me to have access to coaches who are always willing to help. If I am struggling to keep up with my schoolwork, they are there to encourage me and give me advice on how to handle my problems. My coaches are my biggest role models and are always there to support me personally and academically. They constantly remind me how important my education is and give me motivation to keep working hard. I try to model myself a er them by remaining positive and determined.
I compare a lot of the challenges I face in school to the ones I face in sports. For example, when the method I was using to study for a test wasn’t working, I remembered how writing out my basketball plays always helped me to memorize them, so I changed up my approach and rewrote my notes onto ash cards to use. Many people believe being an athlete makes it more di cult to be a good student, but playing sports has provided me with all the tools necessary to succeed academically.
Becoming a student athlete was the best decision I ever made. I have made countless friends and memories that have made me the person I am today. It wasn’t always easy to manage sports and academics but I learned how to manage my time through experience and hard work. Being an athlete has taught me many important lessons and made me an all around better student.