Being a student athlete at BCA is tough without saying, but the freshman girls volleyball team has shown that with dedication and passion, playing a sport does not have to mean late nights and bad grades.

If you ever join the freshman girls on their bus ride to practice or back from a game, you’ll find many of them trying to endure the bumpy ride while finishing math homework or studying for a biology quiz. These girls have to juggle the Academies’ rigorous coursework with daily practices, and this is especially a challenge for freshmen, who are still adjusting to their first year of high school.

As middle blocker Madison Clancy (ACAHA) puts it, “Now, I don’t get home until late at night, and with more homework, it is definitely more difficult.”

The transition is hard, but these girls are managing it successfully with good time management. One thing that is continually repeated during guidance seminars is that in order to succeed at this school, you need to be able to use your time wisely. Even if you don’t participate in a sport, you still need to know how to balance your time between other extracurricular activities, clubs, and community service.

“Be organized, plan everything out, and do not procrastinate,” advises Grace Yang, co-captain (AAST). This includes using the travel time before practices and the free mods at school to catch up on homework or to start studying for an exam.

In fact, free mods are very important to the volleyball team. Middle player Francesca Mignano (ACAHA) says she takes advantage of all her frees and setter Shira Rozenthal (ABF) emphasizes its benefits: “They are so important as without them, I would have hours of homework at home and that’s time I can’t afford to waste.”

Nonetheless, the girls find that volleyball is worth the sacrifice. They might not be able to socialize or relax as much at school, but practices and games are the team’s way of gaining some time away from the stress of academics.“I don’t think about school on the court, they’re two completely different realms” concludes opposite hitter Emily Hashem (AMST).

In addition, the sport also gives an opportunity for some physical exercise that would be otherwise hard to get. “No matter how much homework I get, I still have to take care of my body and my health.” adds middle hitter Mikyaela Glavin (AMST).

Even with BCA’s demanding workload, the frosh team has managed to find their flow by balancing homework and volleyball, while getting the exercise they need and enjoying the time away from academics.