Especially at Hingham High School, the extracurriculars one does have a big impact socially on students time management. Within sports especially, players spend roughly seven and a half hours a week with their teammates and coaches, creating cultures and friendships that shape athletes alike.
Particularly, varsity sports members dedicate themselves to minding the balance between student and athlete, with sophomore field hockey player Bo Wilson saying, “Between school work and practice, my schedule can get very busy and it can be hard to find time for everything.” Luckily, field hockey player and captain of the lacrosse team, junior Jenna Varholak, has agreed to sit down and talk about her experience as a student athlete within the High School.
First question: How do you feel being an athlete has affected your social circle and those you spend time with?
“It has affected my life in many ways, because I meet many new people and spend everyday with them, which creates a really close relationship over the course of the season”
She continued to elaborate on the friends made through her two sports, some she never expected to become so close with.
Second question: How do you find the balance between student and athlete?
“For me, finding the balance between student and athlete has everything to do with time management and picking the right moments to be focused and use your time correctly”
Third question: What has being a dual-varsity athlete taught you about yourself?
“It taught me how to manage my time correctly and how I can connect with many different people from different backgrounds, and not just people from the social circle I am used to. It also helps me see that I can achieve great things, even out of sports”
Fourth question: Do you have an offseason? If not, how do you manage the constant schedule demands, and if so, how does your routine change?
“I do have an offseason in the winter. My schedule changes from an everyday active lifestyle to going home right after school. In the winter I have to fire out my own ways to be active and maintain relationships with my teammates. I also have to create my own path for myself without my coaches present.”
Fifth Question: As a varsity athlete and a captain, players from other teams look up to you. How do you feel being a role model for others?
“Being a role model is a large role to take on and slightly stressful. The pressure of people looking up to you makes you want to improve and show others that it is okay to make mistakes and struggles to balance between student and athlete.”
Jenna is just one of the many athletes within Hingham High, who navigates balancing work and sports everyday. She used her role models to shape how she wanted as a leader, and plans to apply that to her upcoming captainship in the 2027 lacrosse season. Using Jenna’s example, future Hingham High athletes can learn to navigate busy schedules, and find the balance Jenna has discovered over her three years at Hingham High School.
