With finals only one week away, students participating in winter sports must fight to balance studying and practice time.

As winter sports such as soccer, basketball, and cheerleading begin to take their course, so does the preparation for first semester finals. Student athletes struggle to balance everyday practice and games with the pressure to succeed on their finals.

Speaking about balancing sports and finals, senior Joseph Hamdum said, “It’s hard to study for finals and get all your work done as it is, but when you add playing a sport full time into the mix it makes matters even worse.”

No matter if a student is a freshman or a senior, there is still a constant struggle to balance school and sports during such a stressful time.

Senior Simone Mcarthy said, “In all reality you don’t [balance sports and studying]. You have to do your homework right after school and just do the best you can. It’s all about the finding time.”

It’s also about balancing the pressure. Students are expected to not only participate in athletics and academics, but they are expected to succeed. As athletes, they must uphold their grades in order to continue their participation in sports.

Every year the strain of maintaining good grades while playing a sport bares a bigger burden on students through the added pressure of teachers, parents, and coaches. Even without this added pressure, students already struggle to achieve their personal goals.

Varsity Basketball player and junior Joseph Rodriguez said,”I try to balance studying for finals while playing sports by taking advantage of the time I am given in class by my teachers and also using the time during bus rides to the games to finish incomplete work.”

Varsity Cheerleader and junior Jasmin Riedel said, “When I come home from practice, I make sure to have a set plan of what subjects need to be covered and studied. I base my schedule off of what I think I need the most review on and I keep myself away from distractions so I stay focused and take advantage of the time I have to study.”

During this important “dead week” before finals, Carlmont is more lively than ever. From lunch time classrooms bustling with students seeking help, to a library filled with quiet studiers, each student prepares to take on the week to come. Athletes are seen sitting outside the gym or on the soccer field sidelines preparing to take advantage of every moment they get.

Sophomore soccer player Gianna Gomez said, “To succeeded you must work hard and play hard it doesn’t matter what you do. You must give 110% effort.”