UPrep is known for its esteemed academics, but many students also play sports after school, infringing on the amount of time they have to work on their classwork. Balancing multiple hours of sports practices or games after school, along with hours of homework, is quite a struggle, but many find ways to manage both.

Senior Rian Fitzpatrick has played numerous sports for all seven years, including soccer, basketball and ultimate. With practice taking up much of her time, she uses a notebook to stay on top of all of her homework.

“My first instinct is just to get on top of my work,” Fitzpatrick said.

One of her strategies to balance after-school practices and homework is to finish the easiest things first. She often asks herself questions to compartmentalize what she can get done to balance all of her time commitments.

All this time-balancing pays off because of the experiences Fitzpatrick gets. Her favorite thing about UPrep sports is being able to make close friends from across all grade levels and bond together throughout the season.

“I don’t think I’d be the person I am without UPrep sports,” Fitzpatrick said.

On the other hand, junior Brody Eintracht who plays tennis, basketball and soccer, has adopted a different strategy to complete his work. He often puts his phone away or on Do Not Disturb, so it’s not a distraction to him.

“I can get it all done even before I come to practice,” Eintracht said.

Eintracht feels stressed on nights when the time to complete his homework is often broken up by a game, but still leans on his strategies to complete everything in a timely manner.

“I think that you have to be very proactive and know what you’re gonna do before you sit down and start doing it. You have to have a plan,” Eintracht said.