THE ISSUE: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BALANCE ACADEMICS AND ATHLETICS? Scoring in the classroom

High school athletes have to be time managers, and many contend that the better they are at that, the better the results will be on the playing field and in the classroom.

A good example might be Collins Hill’s top girls cross country runner, Amanda Winslow, who is a favorite to win the Class AAAAA state championship next month and a sure bet to earn a college scholarship.

“My schedule is the same every day,” said Winslow, who runs 35 miles a week and carries a 3.85 grade-point average. “If you stay on task, you can fit more into your day than you think.”

Balancing academics with athletics is perhaps the biggest challenge high school athletes face. The time spent practicing, competing and getting the grades can be more than a full-time gig.

“School’s a full-time job; running is a part-time job,” said Winslow’s coach, Andrew Hudson, who says that health, rest and nutrition are necessary in the balancing act. “It’s the same for other sports. Or drama, dance and marching band.”

Winslow, the state track champion in the 3,200 and 1,600 meters last spring, gets up at 5:30 a.m. every weekday, eats breakfast then drives to school for a 7:10 a.m. start. After school ends at 2:10 p.m., she practices for more than two hours before returning home about 5:30.

From there, she has a snack —- usually a bowl of healthy cereal —- and ices down and stretches her legs before dinner at 7 p.m. She completes her homework about 8:30 or 9, and has “leisure time,” which includes an abdominals workout, until bedtime.

“My goal is to be in bed by 10 every night,” she said. “I really need to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.”

Dunwoody linebacker Jerry King, who wants to be an orthopedic surgeon one day, says football is a seven-day activity, which includes video review on Sunday after each game and three hours of practice after school.

He has mapped out a schedule with his parents that includes at least 20 minutes of study for each class every night. If he slips up, car and weekend privileges might be taken away. At the dinner table, the topic of conversation is school first, football second.

“This may sound strange, but my best grades are during the football season,” he said. “I want to be known as a scholar-athlete, not just an athlete.”

IT’S NOT AS EASY AS SOME THINK

The central question: What is the best way to balance academics and athletics? We asked area coaches and players how they deal with the issue:

Franklin Pridgen, football coach, Wesleyan

“[Academics are] more important than their progress on the field. Our administration is set up where students have several layers of support available to them, and as a coach I am one of those resources… . I have told our players and parents that players can miss practice time if they need to spend extra time working with a teacher. At the end of each grading period, I am informed of any player who is struggling. Plus I have assigned a member of my staff as a liaison with the principal’s office to make sure there is clear and rapid communication.”

Steven Collins, football coach, Union Grove

“We do a morning study hall and tutoring session with the kids.”

Kelly Murdock, softball coach, Mill Creek

“I always tell my girls that because they are student-athletes, more is expected of them than the average kid. To promote good grades, our kids turn in regular grade reports and face disciplinary consequences if they are not performing well. Our coaching staff communicates frequently with their teachers, so we always have an idea of how they are doing academically. I know it is difficult balancing school and ball, but with a little time management and dedication, it is possible to excel at both.”

Andrew Hudson, cross country coach, Collins Hill

“Without your health, nothing else matters. Usually the answer if they aren’t doing well in the academic arena or in the athletic arena is a non-training factor. … You have to be rested, hydrated and eat a balanced diet.”

Mickey Harper, baseball and softball coach, Chapel Hill

“As a coach, past athlete and math department chair, I know and understand the importance of balancing the rigors and responsibilities of both academics and athletics. I feel all people must choose priorities in their life, and it is my role as a coach and teacher to help them set up a moral code to use in order to make decisions… . The choices a student makes will ultimately define outcome of their success.”

 Illustration by JEMAL R. BRINSON / Staff
a basketball hoop and backboard covered with math equations