Senior Kevin Lack never leaves the field. His mind is always on the game. Athletes like varsity football player Lack dedicate most of their free time to their sport. Free time that could be spent with family, other extracurricular activities, relaxing, etc. Between hours of training and games, sports take up a large chunk of a student’s regular schedule.

“Every day during the season we have practice after school for four hours,” Lack said. “We also have both spring and summer workouts every day. I get about four or five hours of sleep every night by the time I get home and finish everything I need to do for school.”

According to the website Freelap, “Ninety-four percent of US student athletes believed they should be getting more sleep than they were getting and that their median time asleep was 7.5 hours. Players experience limited time to complete things like homework or even eat dinner with their families. Many athletes have to choose one or the other because of conflicting schedules.

“I normally eat dinner fairly late because of my soccer games,” senior varsity soccer player Isaac Moore said. “I also stay up late or wake up early to finish my homework. I don’t like getting home so late because I don’t get enough sleep sometimes and that has affected my school work.”

Some student athletes are not allowed to participate in activities because of their sport. Athletes involved in sports such as volleyball and swim were not allowed to play in the powder-puff game to avoid injuries.

“I missed out on the powder-puff game for both junior year and senior year,” senior varsity volleyball player Nina Lombardi said. “I was a little bummed that I couldn’t do it because I know it would be fun, but our coach made the right decision to not let us play in the game.”

Athletes like Moore realize that despite all the sacrifices they have to make for their sport, the sense of accomplishment they receive is worth it.

“I have made life-long friends through soccer. I have also been offered scholarships for college. Even though my time is limited for things like jobs, I have become a certified coach to so my schedules will never clash,” Moore said. “My commitment to soccer has definitely been worth it for the long run.”

To Lack, Moore, Lombardi and other student athletes the time devoted to their sport has provided them with the outcomes they sought. Whether it was for lessons, life-long friends, or the love of the game, the athletes have said their dedication was well worth it.