At our school, sports programs expect their athletes to attend practice almost every day with some minor exceptions, and these practices can last for 2 to 3 hours. However, many clubs also gather directly after school, causing interferences with students’ schedules. Students shouldn’t have to miss a critical club meeting due to a consistent sports schedule. Additionally, with winter sports beginning, this problem is as looming as ever. One way to fix this solution is to join clubs after a sports season, but important meetings may take place while the student has been away. Missing sports practices to go to clubs instead can work but is not a great strategy if the student joins multiple clubs.
I wanted to understand what some students’ personal experiences were, so I interviewed a few upperclassmen to understand their past experiences with sports/club interferences. I spoke with Graham Glassner, a senior and member of the swim team. Graham said that when it comes to conflicts between sports and clubs, he typically chooses to go to sports practices instead of club meetings since he is very committed to the sport. I also talked to Brandon Piedade, who was the captain of the cross-country team and is participating in the winter track. He also said that he has to miss club meetings due to his high level of sports. However, both students gave the same advice, that the choice should be up to the student. Their suggestions seemed like good advice, so I asked other students with similar conflicts what they thought. Therefore, I shared this tip with freshman Grady Hazlett, a participant in cross country and indoor track. He agreed with this advice and also shared that students should do as much as they are comfortable accomplishing.
In conclusion, it is impossible to make it to every practice and every club, but managing time well is still significant. A good balance is different for each person, so just make sure not to overdo it, and be happy.
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