Junior Cole Terbush plays hockey for the Indy Fuel Academy. Terbush said he enjoys how being a student athlete keeps him busy. (Submitted Photo: Cole Terbush)

What sports do you do for school and outside of school?

I play hockey for the Carmel Ice Blue team, which is the B team, and I do ballet at (The) Ballet Theater of Carmel Academy, which is at 96th (Street) and Ditch (Road). 

How do you balance different aspects of your life with athletics? 

For most things, the time can kind of fill in in other places. I also play the cello and you can practice late at night. You can practice during the day. (For) homework, you can always find time to do homework. You know, there’s always SRT (and) you can do it in other classes. So really, athletics kind of takes up its own time, (and) for everything else, you can just kind of fill in around it. 

How do you balance each sport with each other? 

So in more recent years, that balance has just become doing more hockey. (But) it is hard; most hockey players spend more time doing hockey-related things than I do, (and) certainly, most ballet dancers do more ballet classes than I do. Generally, I just do more of one at a certain time. (For example), we have our State tournament this weekend for hockey, so I (have) not been doing much ballet. 

What are the biggest benefits of being a student athlete? 

First of all, it’s just an enjoyable thing, in my opinion. It’s certainly something that you can fill your time with. I suppose I’m generally busy during the entire school year, (and) there (are) certainly advantages to when it’s less busy, like when the hockey season ends. It is nice to just have a routine and to know that you’re going to be doing something. It’s rewarding when you do well, and I think that it is (also) beneficial to do poorly, as (what) often happens.

What are some drawbacks of being a student athlete?

There is a lot of expectation put on you. You have to do a lot for it, so it does take up a lot of time. I think that a lot of people sometimes struggle to get all their work done because they’re doing other things and it does get kind of busy. (Also), it is tough to do bigger things in your free time. It’s almost impossible to schedule a small weekend vacation because, first of all, your weekends are always full, and then also just when things are free, sometimes the schedule changes. (Sometimes) the (sports) schedule doesn’t come out until late in the year, and then also during the week, the (sports) schedule doesn’t come out until pretty late.  

What are the hardest challenges you face with playing two sports? 

The biggest thing is there is not that much time in the week and I can’t really fully commit to both. So it’s tough having to balance, like, “Oh, you know, I just can’t be there,” and it’s tough to have to tell someone that. 

Have you ever faced negative stereotypes about playing ballet?

I’d say people generally try to avoid that, but I think it’s definitely a thing. People say things— people don’t generally say things to me—but I have heard people say things about ballet dancers or whatever. People are generally polite, but they definitely have opinions. 

Which sport do you prefer playing? 

I’ll have to go with hockey. In the battle for my time, hockey has generally won, (and) I’m better at hockey. But I do still love ballet.  

How do you balance different social relationships with playing two sports?

I’m definitely not as close in either group as a lot of the other people. Especially with ballet, a lot of the people are really close and I’m not there super often. So I’m not nearly as close as any of them. Then even at hockey, you know, a lot of people will maybe stay after a game to watch another game or they’ll hang out sometime, and I’m just busy with either ballet or keeping up with other things.