Balancing Sports, School, and Sanity: My Life as a 3-Sport Athlete Heading Into High School
If you’ve ever tried to balance school and sports, you know it’s not easy. Now imagine doing that with three sports—football, wrestling, and baseball—and still trying to keep your grades up, hang out with friends, and not completely lose your mind. That’s basically been my life the last couple years, and now that high school is coming up, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’m gonna survive all of it.
Let me just say: playing three sports in one year is awesome, but also a lot. Fall is football, and it’s nonstop. Long practices, film sessions, games every week. It’s big highs and big lows from June when summer training starts all the way to November if you’re lucky enough to get into the playoffs.
Then winter hits and it’s wrestling season, which is a whole new level of tough. You’re not just trying to win—you’re trying to make weight, deal with soreness, and keep your head in the game. I remember cutting weight for a match and basically eating air for a few days. Not fun and my mom was pissed when she found out. Spring rolls around and it’s baseball, which people think is chill—until you’re sore from wrestling and still expected to sprint and throw like nothing hurts. Spoiler alert: everything hurts.
Physically, yeah, I’m always sore. My knees crack when I stand up, I’ve had turf burns in places I didn’t know you could get turf burns, and ice packs have become my best friend. Mentally? It’s draining. Each sport has different coaches, different expectations, and sometimes drama follows you from one team to the next. Someone’s mad about playing time, someone’s talking behind people’s backs—it happens.
And then you’ve got school. Trying to actually keep up with homework and study for tests after practice is rough. I’ve had nights where I barely started homework at 10PM, and more than once I’ve fallen asleep mid-assignment. I’ve tried to get better at time management—using reminders on my phone, making to-do lists, even setting fake deadlines for myself. But let’s be honest, I don’t always stick to it. Sometimes practice runs late, or I forget about an assignment, and boom—I’m pulling an all-nighter on a school night.
What sucks the most is missing out on stuff. Friends will be hanging out or going to a birthday party, and I’ve got practice or a game. I try to stay chill about it, but it does get frustrating. You feel like you’re always choosing between having a life and chasing your goals.
Now with high school coming up, I’m trying to prep myself. Everyone keeps saying it’s gonna be a whole new level—more homework, more pressure, and sports that are way more competitive. I’m excited, for sure, but also kind of nervous. Like, are the coaches gonna be super strict? Are the older players gonna be chill or treat freshmen like trash? What if I mess up at tryouts and blow my shot?
At the same time, I’m really looking forward to some stuff. Bigger crowds at games, better gear, playing on real varsity teams—that all sounds awesome. I want to see how far I can go. My goals? Make varsity one day, keep my grades decent, and not completely burn out. Oh, and maybe finally figure out a routine that actually works.
I know it’s gonna be a grind, but honestly, I love it. Even with all the chaos, there’s nothing like making a big play, winning a match you weren’t supposed to win, or just being part of a team that pushes you to be better. Sports have taught me how to work hard, handle losses, and keep showing up—even when I’m tired, stressed, or just not feeling it.
So yeah, balancing all of this is crazy, and I definitely don’t have it all figured out. But I’m learning as I go. High school’s coming, and I’m ready to see what’s next—even if I’m limping into it with sore legs and three missing assignments. Stay tuned for the lessons I learn this summer—middle school’s in the rearview, and high school’s right around the bend. (spoiler alert: pretty sure it’s not all sunshine and sleep-ins).
