Balancing Football and School: A Ben Packer Exclusive

Balancing Football and School: A Ben Packer Exclusive

According to The Atlantic, at an average high school, approximately 49% of all students claim that extracurricular activities, such as sports or clubs, get in the way of their school work. Senior football player Ben Packer is no exception.

“There are many struggles that go into playing varsity football. Some of the biggest ones include time management, staying healthy, and focusing on what is in front of you. But balancing school and football, for me, is very tough.” Packer said, “My schedule is very packed; I am taking three AP courses and I do not have early D, so when I get home, I get straight to work. Plus, with college applications, that is an extra task to manage in the months of the football season.”

The entire football team is often given the opportunity to have a ‘study table’ before practice.

“It’s really nice to be able to get some of our work done before practice,” Packer said, “but after it’s just me and the rest of my workload.”

Packer’s strategy for keeping up with his school work is writing down his assignments, and counting on the support of those around him.

“Everyone on the team supports each other and the coaches are also great,” Packer said. “The coaches help every one of us and make sure that we are healthy, focused, and succeeding in school.”