The Hectic Lives of Warrior Athletes
By: Sara Reinberg (12th) and Eliana Bensoussan (9th)
A large percentage of our relatively small student body participates in our school's athletic department. Most of us have friends on sports teams, exposing us to the reality of after-school practices, weekday games, and tournaments hosted in L.A., New York, and even our own school. We all feel involved and aware of Hebrew Academy’s major teams, but how much do we really know about the lives of our athletes? Stress levels during competitions, weekends dedicated to practice, conflicts with coaches, and bonds with teammates–there is clearly far more to joining a team than we realize. So let’s find out: What is life like for a Warrior athlete?
Let’s start with the day to day basis. Everyone knows that when the final bell rings, everyone rushes out of the building, clearing it by 4:10 at the latest. However, those who are athletes make their way over to the gym, gathering their energy for a rigorous practice.
“We have practice pretty much everyday, for an hour and a half. It's a commitment because you can’t go straight home and relax, and I’m also up late doing work,” said Shoshy Stein (12th).
Balancing school, sports, and a social life is challenging for all athletes. Some Warrior athletes feel that their sports encroach on their free time with friends, leading to them miss out on fun social activities.
“Basketball impacts my social life a lot because of the lack of time I have to do some things I want to do,” said Eliana Wolfson (9th). “However, I do think that I do have a good enough balance between free time, hanging out with friends, and family and sports.”
On the other hand, many see sports as a good opportunity to make new friendships and build strong relationships.
“The best part of being on the team is the memories you make with the group of guys you are with, the whole squad, the whole team,” said Ben Farkas (12th). “You fight with each other the whole year, the whole season, and you build real bonds with each other.”
Another important aspect of playing sports is the pressure to succeed, play a good game, and beat another team. Mindsets play a huge role in an athlete's performance, and maintaining a positive attitude is difficult for some students.
“There’s definitely pressure during a game when you play good teams, and it's hard to
have the mental strength to keep pushing yourself to do your best,” said Shoshy Stein (12th).
Overall, there is more to joining a sports team than merely playing the game. It takes commitment and passion to become a strong player and create a unified team, so kudos to our Warrior athletes for their dedication and commitment!
