As the fourth quarter begins, so does grind-time for all students patiently anticipating summer break. With two months to go- roughly 35 days (but who’s counting)- tests like the ACT, SAT, or PSAT are in session as well as finals. Fourth quarter can be extremely stressful for students, especially those juggling a spring sport. Balancing school with a spring sport or any other extracurricular is a tremendous feat for any AHS student or high school student in general.

Students that play a spring sport miss school almost weekly for games, so they have to stay on top of all the makeup work in classes they miss. Many extracurricular activities help students learn how to manage their time.

AHS sophomore Kendall Clark speaks about her personal experience with trying to balance track and her school work.

“Sticking to a schedule really helps me stay on top of everything. Time management is super important. Right now I’m in my track season, but I run cross country in the fall and nordic ski in the winter. I have to make sure I have time to do my homework after practice. It can be hard to catch up sometimes but you just have to try to make the time which can be the hardest part,” Clark said.

Students with a loaded schedule every day after school have to come up with new ways to make time for school work, and on top of that, they also make time to hang out with friends and family. Many feel sports even help with the friends’ aspect.

“There are also many benefits to doing a sport. Sports, in general, help you make new friendships with people you may never have thought you’d be friends with,” claims Kendall Cark

Most students enjoy stepping up to the challenge. Sophomore Edie Sherlock comments on how she enjoys the challenges balancing soccer and school can pose.

“Spring sports push you so you have to do many things at once, and it kind helps me strive forward and push myself in school as well as sports because I know that I have to keep working on both. When I miss school for a game, I’m sure to talk to my teachers ahead of time so there is less work for me to make up when I get back,” Sherlock said.