At a school like chs, with so many opportunities available, athletes often face the difficult decision of whether or not the time commitment of their sport is right for them. Senior Isabel Fray played on the soccer team at Carmel for two years, but after sacrificing all her free time to the sport, she decided it was no longer for her. Fray said it was a hard decision, but she said she is enjoying her high school experience even more now that she quit.
“It was a really hard decision because I have been playing soccer since kindergarten and that’s the only thing I have ever done. It was weird at first going from playing a sport nearly every day to nothing. I miss it, but I have so many opportunities now,” she said.
Along with Fray, junior Austin Newland quit basketball in order to focus on other activities. Unlike Fray, who quit to become more involved, Newland said he quit in order to focus on football. He said he hopes to play football in college and had to choose one sport to dedicate all his time to.
“I can strictly focus on football and football only,” Newland said. “When I played both sports it was hard to practice because I couldn’t practice football too much or my basketball skills would go down and vice versa. But now, I can just improve my football abilities and not worry about another sport.”
Fray said she now spends her free time getting more involved in her school. She is now a member of Senate, a Young Life leader for middle school and a highly involved member in DECA.
Fray said, “I am a lot more involved in the school and I love it. With Young Life, I could take on a bigger role as a leader and I can focus more on DECA. My friends also convinced me to run for Senate and it is a great group to be a part of.”
Assistant athletic director Bruce Wolf said one of the most difficult things for an athlete to do is manage their time effectively. He said he sees students quit sports to be more involved in other extracurricular activities.
“The normal attrition from most of our sports as an athletic processes from freshman to senior is more often related to multiple factors. Some of the major reasons are loss of playing time, loss of interest, loss of perception of value and change of priorities,” Wolf said.
Newland said although he is happy with the decision he made, at times he misses basketball. Fray agreed with Newland in the sense that it was hard leaving the sport she grew up loving.
“I really do miss basketball,” Newland said. “I still play in the intramural league at the high school so it isn’t completely out of my life, but when I go to the basketball games and watch it makes me wonder what it could have been like to be out there playing with the team. Even though I do miss basketball, I don’t regret my decision because I know it will help me in the long run.”
Both Fray and Newland said they have found ways to still love the sports they have given up. Fray said she plays Carmel Dad’s Club (CDC) soccer with her friends and that they have fun playing the sport on their own time. Newland said that he is involved in intramural basketball with his friends.
“I am so happy now. CDC is so much fun,” Fray said. “I play with all my friends and I am still getting the opportunity to play to sport I grew up loving. Playing soccer on my own time has also allowed me to be more involved in the school.”
Wolf said that he notices one of the most difficult things for an athlete to do is learn to manage their time effectively. He said he understands when students commit to only one sport or quit their sport for other interests.
He said, “Many CHS students often over-commit with a challenging curricular schedule and involvement in several activities. While this is commendable and can lead to an enriching high school experience, it can also be problematic and stressful for student athletes.”
While both Fray and Newland quit their sports, they both said they still feel as though they have little free time. Fray said she has filled her free time with more than one activity and she is happy with the way circumstances are working out for her. Newland said he has gotten more involved in the school but still dedicates most of his free time to football.
Newland said, “I have gotten more involved in the school, but not primarily because I quit basketball. It gave me some free time, but I still spend a lot of time training year round for football. I joined House last year and this year I will be a GKOM. They are both great experiences and I am hoping to run track for the school this upcoming season.”