It’s no surprise that student-athletes have a lot on their plate. From Advanced Placement (AP) classes to extracurriculars, life for many Westford Academy students is busy. While sports can be a way for students to detach from other stressors and hangout with friends, many student-athletes don’t find that to be the case. Instead of relieving stress, sports can sometimes add another layer of pressure to already overwhelming academic lives.
Academic stress is a major part of many students’ lives. According to an article by Rose Academics, eight out of every ten teens say that academic stress heavily affects their mental well-being.
“The mental struggle of being a student-athlete is overlooked,” sophomore volleyball player Raahil Mollah said. “If you’re not performing well, that kind of hurts. People say ‘it’s just a sport,’ but it kind of affects who you are […] especially if you’re underperforming in a sport that you really like.”
Mollah is your typical sophomore student: he wakes up at 6:40 a.m., eats breakfast, catches his 7:10 a.m. bus to school, and takes a healthy mix of Honors and College Preparatory (CP) classes. However, his “double life” comes from balancing those responsibilities while also competing on the varsity volleyball team, which creates a difficult and tight daily schedule.
“On a really busy day I typically go to bed [around] 12:30,” Mollah said. “I’m usually pretty tired during the school day so I like to drink a few energy drinks. I know it’s not the best for health but it helps me get through the day.”
The demanding schedule many student-athletes have often leaves little room for rest. Practices and games consume hours after school, forcing students to complete assignments late at night or in the limited free time they have throughout the day.
“I’ve definitely found myself in the middle of the night doing my homework, or when I’m too tired I’ll sleep really early [around 6 p.m. or 9 p.m.] and wake up really early to do it,” sophomore varsity tennis player Emma Park said.
Having a abundant amount of homework and competing at the varsity level often leads to student-athletes not getting enough sleep, which negatively affects both academic and athletic performances.
Upperclassmen often face even more pressure, balancing varsity athletics with leadership roles, tougher classes, and planning for life after high school.
“As a senior, the pressure has definitely changed. Earlier it was more about improving and earning a spot on the starting lineup, but now it’s about leadership and finishing strong,” senior varsity tennis player Nikhil Ponnusamy said. “With college applications done, the focus shifts to setting an example and helping the team succeed.”
As students ourselves, we have noticed how playing a sport has impacted the stress our peers feel everyday. It becomes challenging to find a balance between athleticism and academics, especially when it comes to deciding what should take precedence. Some days, when students are coming back from their games or practices, there is hardly enough time left at night to do their homework or study for the following day’s exams.
This sentiment seems to be shared by many other students at WA. A poll conducted by the Ghostwriter showed that nearly 66% of students reported feeling somewhat stressed due to playing a sport, and that 78% of students say their sport negatively impacts their life.
“When I played competitively, I used to have tournaments every weekend, so it’d be really difficult to keep up with my schoolwork,” Park said. “I have so much respect for those who play multiple sports during multiple seasons, like people who play fall and spring sports, [because there is real] burnout and mental strains [that come from] trying to perform well both academically and in sports.”
Student-athletes are also expected to perform under pressure during competitions, even while dealing with stress from school. For many, the pressure to not let teammates down can become overwhelming.
“During a close match my junior year against Bedford, the score was 2–2 and my match was the deciding one for the team,” Ponnusamy said. “The pressure hit because we needed the win to keep our standings high.”
For student-athletes, making sure to take care of their mental well-being, an aspect of health that is often forgotten about, is extremely important. Academic stress can easily become overwhelming, and without properly balancing it, the stress can consume multiple aspects of a students’ life. While controlled amounts of pressure are natural and sometimes beneficial, especially in a world of academics and athletics, it should never take precedence over one’s whole self.
“[This pressure] has actually affected my personal life a lot, like being a lot more moody, being a lot more stressed out, and [figuring out] how I’m supposed to balance things,” Park said.
WA is a very academic-centered and competitive school. Along with this, WA has many sport teams that compete at the Division I or Division II level. This atmosphere can severely impact a student-athlete’s perspective of sports and learning by feeling that they need to be the best at everything they do.
For coaches, teachers, and administrators, understanding the pressures students-athletes face is critical. Recognizing the signs of stress and burn out before they begin permanently affecting students could make a major difference. One way to do that is to have a clear and open line of communication with your team.
“If I could change one thing, it would be building in a little more flexibility during the season,” Ponnusamy said. “Not less work, just an understanding of time commitments, so student-athletes can stay on top of both academics and sports.”
Still, not every student-athlete views sports as a negative source of stress. For some students, athletics provide structure, motivation, and a break from academic pressure. Many athletes say sports help them develop time-management skills, stronger friendships, and discipline that carries into the classroom. While balancing academics and athletics can be difficult, some students believe the benefits of participating in sports outweigh the challenges that come with busy schedules.
However, even with those benefits, many student-athletes still struggle to manage the constant demands that come with balancing academics and athletics. When schedules become overwhelming and stress begins affecting sleep, mental health, and academic performance, the positives of sports can become overshadowed by the pressure to constantly succeed.
Sports are supposed to build confidence, friendships, and discipline. However, for many student-athletes, they also create a harmful environment and, essentially, a full time job; one that can overwhelm students trying to succeed both on the field and in the classroom.
“I think school and your passion should always be balanced together, without one overpowering the other,” Mollah said.