Nearly eight million students in the United States are student athletes. This, of course, includes the students in Idaho and Rocky Mountain as well.
Danica Riley, freshman, shares her perspective and talks about how Karate is a release for her and her emotions but how it also teaches her a lot of important life skills, stating: “It shows you discipline and you’ve gotta give a lot of respect. It also helps with pressure in school and with stress- it helps it die down, even if it’s just a little bit”.
She goes into further elaboration on the extreme impact that practicing karate has had on her ability to effectively cope with stress and anxiety. The demanding environment that students find themselves in, whether it be in educational or sporting commitments, often creates a significant amount of pressure. Engagement in extracurricular activities such as sports, serves as an important mechanism for numerous individuals in easing the strain associated with these rigorous challenges.
Alex Harl, freshman, adds on, saying: “I do ballet. It shows me the level of respect that I need to have for my teachers as well as my peers and how friendship is very important in my life. It shows me how I need to understand other people to work well.”
Harl strongly believes in the value of community within the world of ballet. Through her experiences, she has found that ballet not only offers a platform for artistic expression but also fosters a sense of belonging and connection with others. Making friends within the ballet community and finding her place there has not only helped her in her social life but has also taught her the importance of being a supportive and reliable friend in return. Similarly, the disciplines of ballet and karate both emphasize values such as responsibility and respect, which are necessary, not only in the academic setting, but also in navigating the complexities of the real world. By doing ballet, Harl has honed her ability to carry these principles into various aspects of her life, helping her to build positive relationships and conduct herself with integrity and empathy in all situations.
Harl brings up how the day that she’s had in school, does, in fact, have an impact on her routines, saying: “Depending on the day I’ve had, it affects the emotions that I show, the way that I dance. Making sure that you have a strong emotion while you dance makes it more enjoyable.”
Sports help foster connections with people, whether it be performing for an audience or as Lucy Hedgepeth, freshman, says, being on a team with very sociable people. “I do cross country. It’s very social and it’s kind of how I make friends. My academics don’t really have an impact on it. I mean, you could get benched if you’re failing or something, but that’s it- only when you’re failing, like, you can’t participate in the competitions. I guess [sports] do drive me to keep my grades up higher, since there is more pressure. But overall, it keeps me
happy, so that’s really good.”
Sports are something that students really look forward to during the school year but having bad grades can mean you get benched.
When asked how he balances his grades and sports, Royce Millington, freshman, explains: “Mostly my parents, to be honest, and I’m actually really thankful for that. And also, my friends- my friends help me a lot as well. [In the beginning of the year] I didn’t have a lot of motivation to do much. Basketball is a high-level sport, so you, for sure, need to push yourself to play for whatever places you want.”
Having a support system is crucial for good performances in both academics and athletics.
Coming towards the end of the year, many Rocky students have managed to balance both with the help of the community they’ve built and will continue to keep doing the things that bring them joy.
