By MAKALEY TERRY
Sheridan High School Student
The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
Being a two-sport athlete teaches you skills like time management, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and responsibility. I play high school soccer, high school basketball, and travel soccer. I am a sophomore at Sheridan High School, and I don’t have an easy schedule. I have practices or games six days a week, which isn’t awful, but it could be better.
I have learned to do my homework and study for tests during my study hall and the time between practices and school. I am in one accelerated class, two classes for juniors, and an AP class. I get stressed sometimes, especially during the week when I have two games and all my teachers decide to have their tests on the same day. I manage it by taking a little bit of time on all them and then going back to the ones that I need more time on. I try to do all, or most, of my homework during the school day, so I don’t have much to do that night.
For high school basketball, we have weights twice a week in the morning. I have to wake up at 6 a.m. to make it there. Then practice is from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, unless we have a game. On Saturday practice is from 8 to 10 a.m. Then I have soccer practice on Monday and Wednesday from 8 to 9 p.m. The soccer faculty is about a 20-minute drive from my house.
During the travel soccer season, we will practice three times a week and then have games on Saturday and Sunday. Travel soccer is the season that I have the most time to spend on schoolwork because I only have practice three times a week. The weekends definitely fly by during travel soccer.
I don’t really have an off season. The summer is kind of like my off season, but I have basketball and high school soccer practices five days a week during the whole summer.
Basketball has helped me with soccer and vice versa. I use a lot of skills I have learned in basketball and use in a game for soccer. Playing on a travel team has also helped me because I have met people from different schools. I don’t see them every day, so when I do get to see them it’s like Christmas morning. It has helped me become more aggressive because I don’t know them that well. Basketball also keeps me in shape for the travel soccer season. I am not out on the field not being able to breathe and having to be taken out of the game.
In conclusion, being a two-sport athlete has taught me many skills. I could not go through life without having basketball or soccer. It can be stressful at times, but I am glad I do it. The coaches and players that have coached me and played with me have taught me everything I know. From when I was four years old to whenever I get too old to play, they will always be a part of my life and journey to wherever life takes me.