Coming into the world of sports at a young age can be difficult, especially for young teens in high school. There are a million different ways to maintain the athletic and academic standards through online sources and social media; however, the everyday life of athletes at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) can also set an example for rising athletes, during their off-season.
Many high schools are adamant about recognizing their student-athletes and for good reason. Boys water polo captain, Turner Stehle ‘25 commented on the challenges of being a student-athlete, saying, “Keeping the balance between grades and your sport and keeping up those dual commitments is definitely the hardest part, at least for me.”
While sports are fun, a sense of organization is required to maintain a good academic performance. Foothill Tech baseball player, Robert “Juju” Juker ‘26 explained, “We had [a senior on the team last year]. He’s really good, but he didn’t get his grades up so he couldn’t play. Just balancing school and athletics and then the gym or whatever extra stuff you’re doing is the hardest.”
To keep up with the rigorous training expected of athletes, many students must master a strict routine that balances work and play. Track and cross country athlete Keera Wallace ‘26 emphasizes that, “Time management really helps. I have a few free periods, so I do my work during that time. I know that I’m a morning person, I really can’t focus much after practice, so I kind of just do my work in the morning before school.” However, combating these difficulties isn’t always through scheduling, Stehle mentions that, “usually it’s just keeping a light attitude throughout school and athletics, definitely having fun with your teammates after practice is always a great thing and just taking your mind off of [the stress].”
Keeping a positive attitude is incredibly important for student-athletes, as stress and school can often cause problems. Wallace explains that, “During the off-season when I don’t run or take a short break, I feel like it’s harder for me to focus during school and during homework.”
English teacher and track coach, Jason Dinkler also commented on the off-season pressures, “You know, the off-season is different, I think, for a runner than maybe some of the other sports. They have to maintain a basic level of fitness through the whole year, but it’s really important to carefully, like change the dial, so to speak, as far as how much mileage they have, because they’re constantly running. So, you just really have to be careful not to overtrain in the off-season.”
When asked if there was any advice these athletes wanted to give to incoming freshmen, girls water polo captain Emma Flores ‘25 explained, “It’s gonna be a little harder than just being a regular student because you have less time than the average person. Just be ready to commit to both academics and your sport because they’re both important.” Being prepared is necessary according to girls volleyball player Aliana Hantgin ‘25 who advised that, “You can’t go through high school being a student-athlete or just a student in general and, expect to never be stressed or never be anxious. So I would say, it’s okay during those times to feel that way and to kind of just keep working through it.”
Whilst studying and keeping up with academics is important, there is training required to keep up your athleticism during the off-season. Juker talks about his own experience with fall and spring baseball saying, “We have our normal practice schedule, so it’s three days a week and then games. Me and a few guys go to the gym together and because we only practice three days a week, we’ll practice the other three together. It’s a lot of just wellness and health, getting bigger, stronger, whatever we can.”
Bennett Rodman ‘26, a track and cross country athlete, believes that, “During off-season, training is a lot lighter and basically just keeping up your skills for postseason or for the actual season.”
The off-season can be tiring seeing as a lot of what athletes do during this time is individual, however, adapting to this is very important if they want to carry this sport into college. While freshmen may not be thinking about college just yet, to play a sport you must love that sport. If you love something you must dedicate your time to it in order for you to grow and enjoy. The off-season is a time to harness your power and stay positive for the next season. Hantgin comments on the off-season overall, “I think during the off-season, it’s kind of sad, you know, at least for me, we start school when we start volleyball. So, once volleyball ends and it’s just school, to me it can get kind of lonely and it’s like, dang, I kind of miss my friends, you know? So you just have to keep your hype up.”
Each player at Foothill Tech holds love for their sport and their experiences and while the life of the student-athlete can be tough, it is never without its perks.