Student athletes have to strike a delicate balance between school and sports practice. For some, this means trying put together a class schedule that fits into a small window of available time before practice. For others, it means having a schedule put together for them so that there won’t be schedule conflicts. On top of balancing a tough schedule, training and conditioning is also physically draining.

Duncan White, a quarterback for the football team, gets up early every morning to go to class at 9 a.m. He meets with his team to watch film at 1:30 p.m.

“We go over the game plan for the week and the things we need to work on,” White said. After the meeting, White and the rest of the team head out to the field to practice.

“Practice is go, go, go the whole time,” White said.

The football players do a lot of running during their practices. White explained that practices were physically easier for him than some of the other players because he is a quarterback. He said being a quarterback “is more thinking than running.”

Practices usually end by 5 p.m. After practice White heads to a team dinner with other teammates on scholarship. Following dinner he attends a study hall on campus.

When the team is traveling, White normally brings along his laptop so he can catch up on films.

“Its very long days for these guys,” Coach Marshall Sperbeck said. “It takes a special kind of person to be able to handle it.”

Sperbeck knows that it takes a lot out of his players to practice so much.

“They have weight lifting at 6, 8, 10 or 11 [a.m.],” Sperbeck said. “Then they have class throughout the day. They have to have 15 units of schoolwork.”

According to Sperbeck, they have practice all throughout the week, while Friday is for traveling since the team usually has games over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Brittany Ferguson, a senior on the volleyball team, also experiences the affects of a busy schedule.

“I have class until 1:15 [p.m.],” Ferguson said. “Then I have to walk to the training room.”

Ferguson has to have her back heated and be treated for aches and pains before practice starts at 2 p.m.

“We practice at 2 [p.m.],” Ferguson said. “We get out of the gym around 6 [p.m.].”

Ferguson said that the practices are physically draining and that after four years of practicing from 1 to 6 p.m. everyday, the body takes a toll.

Rose Burke, also a senior on the volleyball team, says scheduling classes and practices can be hectic.

“I have to sprint to get ready for practice,” Burke said.

She starts class at 9 or 10:30 a.m. every morning and then hurries to get ready for practice.

“The schedule is a little bit different on game days,” Burke said.

Burke explained that they usually have an hour-long practice before games.

“We go inside a classroom and do ‘Chalk Talk’, which is when Coach Volta goes over the opposing team’s weaknesses,” Burke said. “Then we go get Jamba Juice or get a snack and warm up for the game at 6 [p.m.].”

Student athletes have a demanding schedule. They have to concentrate on schoolwork and classes but they also have a very physically demanding training program.

Amy Lewis can be reached at [email protected]