A challenge faced by many high school students is finding a balance between school and their activities. For some, it’s leaving school and going right to work and then having homework to do after a shift. For others, it’s finishing a school day and going straight to the practice field for the next couple hours putting in hard work. Life gets busy at certain times of the year. For a rare few who are multi sport athletes, the “busy” schedule they have never ends. For two of Hempfield Area’s busiest multi-sport athletes, senior, Allison DeMatt and sophomore, Sawyer Leuthold, being a multi sport athlete takes on a whole new meaning.
DeMatt is a unique individual who has found her way to play four sports throughout the year with two taking place during the same season. Not only does Leuthold play two sports, but he also plays them in simultaneous seasons. Leuthold found a way to be a kicker on the football team and a midfielder on the boys soccer team. While DeMatt competes on the Tennis team in the fall, the indoor track team during winter, and the outdoor track and lacrosse team both during the spring season. Both of these athletes have busy schedules and balance their athletic lives with their scholarly lives.
For DeMatt, it’s about finding a balance. “The hardest season for me to juggle school work and sports is certainly spring. I do lacrosse and track and often have big tests to study for during that time. I found the best way to tackle the long nights of homework and studying is trying to find time during the day or being able to get ahead of the work that is coming up. If I don’t stay on top of all of my assignments, they simply won’t get done. It can be hard to find time at night because I will have back to back practices that end around 8:00, and by the time the practices are over, I’m exhausted and in need of rest, so I have no motivation for homework.”
For Leuthod, it’s more about the mental aspect. “It becomes difficult once school starts. I am normally not getting home until after 8 pm (or later if we have an away game for soccer). I find using my study hall to complete homework assignments to be very helpful in addition to using my class time wisely. On the days we do not have an away soccer game, I am normally getting home around 8:30; my parents to a great job with having a meal ready so I can eat, finish any school work I have left, and then go to sleep. I have learned that you have to be disciplined with getting your school work done as soon as it is assigned and not letting it go even if it isn’t due the next day. This helps me keep everything as even as possible and not allow work to pile up. “
While they both expressed how trying their schedules have become, they really do have enough passion to willingly do these sports knowing the challenges. They both agreed that athletics are “definitely worth the stress” because they’re able to compete and represent Hempfield Area.
