By Jasmina Lara on May 8, 2023

SAN JOSE, CALIF. –  Playing a school sport in high school is an experience of ups and downs, but you do end up creating some of your favorite memories in high school.

I have first-hand experience with playing a sport in high school. I was a part of Silver Creek’s soccer team for about three years of high school. Honestly, it was one of the best experiences I’ve had in high school. Playing soccer created an outlet for me away from all of the traditional school work. 

It’s important to note that playing a sport does take up time in your day, so it’s key that you learn how to manage time properly, especially working your school assignments around practice. What I would do on game days, since games usually ended late when I was on varsity, I’ll do homework during lunch. When I get home from a game I’ll either have a little bit or no homework, leaving me to relax and catch up on sleep. 

“Be smart with your time and be mindful of how you spend it and who you spend it with. Prioritize school because you can’t go anywhere with your sport without school.” Marissa Rodriguez a senior at Silver Creek high school who plays for the soccer and softball teams, “Have fun life’s too short to be stressed over little things.” 

One thing most coaches understand is that grades do come first before the sport. As a student-athlete, you have to make sure you’re keeping your grades up to be a part of the team. I would always recommend going to tutoring hours with teachers or even just asking questions when you are confused. Also, make sure you are not falling behind with school assignments because it can be difficult to catch up but not impossible. 

As an athlete, it’s important to communicate with your coaches and your teammates whenever you are confused, do not understand what’s going on, or not available to make a practice or game. When being commutative with a coach can build a trusting relationship as well as environment. It also helps you as a player understand and learn the instructions to an exercise, drill or even play. When a team has effective communication, you are able to address problems before they become too big to manage, connect with teammates, emphasize important messages, and encourage players.

Being a part of a team is just like being part of another family where they are there to support you and help you grow. You create all these memories and build relationships that will last a long time. Teammates make practicing and playing games much better with the moments you have like goofing around with one another,encouraging each other in pregame talks, having that extra support, etc. 

It’s essential to give your body enough time spent not training to regain your energy and allow your damaged muscles to recover. Otherwise, your performance will be compromised and you may experience pain or even worse injuries. As well as making sure you’re not overthinking when playing or even practicing because it can cause negative effects on yourself. It’s okay if you’re not perfect, you need to allow yourself to make mistakes to get better. Just enjoy your time playing the sport with your team and be in the moment.