If the average day to day for a student is considered difficult, imagine also having to balance that workload with a three-four hour practice and a weekly, high-stakes game.
Between tryouts, winning and losing, and pivotal situations that turn into essential learning experiences, student athletes live through years of stress and dedication that parents and teachers could not begin to understand.
Many student athletes will reach the end of their athletic career in high school. A long, nostalgic memory filled road is now over. However, that is not necessarily a negative thing because with it, a new chapter of life begins.
“I had an assist against Shrewsbury this season, a long free kick that my teammate knocked in to win the game in the final seconds. That memory has to be the highlight of my entire career,” said senior soccer captain Aydan Daley. “Moments like that make me realize that I’m so lucky to have played for this program with the teammates I had.”
Athletic programs create life-long memories and teach young adults important life skills that they get to share with teammates, whom they grow with each season.
“The bond you create with your teammates is definitely the most important experience of being an athlete,” said senior football player Cameron Mcgravey, “some of my teammates I’ve played with since elementary school and others I met in high school. Sharing the field with my teammates has taught me important lessons about adversity and teamwork.”
The pressure for athletes at The Regional is lofty. There is not only an expectation to show up, but expectations to win while performing at a high-level.
“There is a standard that athletes are expected to live up to, and those expectations include winning,” said senior field hockey and softball player Kendall Grady. “The support we get as athletes is encouraging, but also provides more pressure and expectations to succeed.”
As her senior season in softball looms, Grady and her teammates have one common goal.
“The goal is to go out and win states this spring. We have an amazing team and the program has performed exceptionally well the past few years, and we believe we can achieve our ultimate goal this season.”
“Student athlete” is a term one wears with pride. However, there is a reason the word “student” comes before athlete. Although many of these kids go to school thinking about practice later that day, they can not let that distract them from what is important from 7:35-2:10.
“You’re expected to perform well in the classroom before you can perform well on the field,” said McGravey. “We all have jobs as students in addition to being athletes, and most of us are not getting scholarships. It’s hard to not lose sight of academic importance, but grades are what keep us on the field in the first place.”
So, what does the term “Student Athlete” really mean?
“To me it means holding yourself to the highest standards possible. Having to juggle your sport and your tests during the week makes each one even harder,” said Daley. “Everyday there is a new challenge, but our strength and courage to help us hurdle these challenges get us ready for the rest of our lives.”
