Before the sun rises, senior cross country runner Weslie Rosenburg wakes up and heads to training. Part of a demanding training regiment, a dedicated group of high school athletes run, swim, lift and condition their bodies in early morning practices before their classmates wake up. Rosenburg and her peers spend hours a day working to balance out the physical and mental challenges of athletics, along with the traditional load of school work, in order to continue chasing their dreams.
“If you put in consistent work,” said Rosenberg, “You will most definitely improve.”
Student athletes work constantly to improve. Most athletes have two practices a day spending four plus hours training. Depending on the sport, they have a certain amount of conditioning and technical training to do outside of team practice. Swimmers’ and runners’ sole goal is to cut time, so they constantly repeat laps until they do. Soccer and basketball players have to have quick reaction and recovery time, so they focus on agility and short sprints. All sports have a separate training program that works with agility, plyometrics, speed, explosion and lifting.
“As I am dedicated to both my education and athletic career,” Rosenberg says. “It is important to me to balance out both.”
With so many practices and hours spent in training, sometimes athletes have a hard time keeping up with classwork. Students like Carter Hinton, a year-round swimmer, have to balance both school and sports. Students with afternoon practices don’t get home until late at night and are too tired to get anything done. Sports like swimming, soccer and running have morning workouts, taking away even more time from school work. But with the limit on playing time players receive when they have bad grades, they are forced to squeeze in the work.
“Junior years are especially important,” Hinton says. “That’s when they are doing most of their recruiting.”
For student athletes harboring college dreams, balancing grueling training with academics isn’t the only hurdle. Recruiting adds another layer of pressure, demanding relentless self-promotion and intense competition. These athletes don’t just hone their skills on the field or court; they navigate a complex system of showcase camps, email campaigns, and one-on-one pleas for attention from coaches.
It’s a high-stakes game, even amongst teammates. Securing a coveted college roster spot often means outperforming not just rivals but also familiar faces. The hours poured into training pale in comparison to the mental exertion of managing academic deadlines, navigating recruitment anxieties, and battling for recognition.
Beyond the cheers and trophies lies a hidden world of tireless dedication and unseen struggles. Few witness the sacrifices, the relentless hustle, the constant balancing act. Student athletes push themselves to the limit, driven by a passion for their sport and the elusive hope of a collegiate future.
