Being a student-athlete at Lake Stevens High School can be a great experience, opportunity, and motivator if the student knows how to balance it out correctly. There are many challenges revolving being a student -along with athlete, which includes maintaining a standard GPA.
“Just being a team and being together, being a bigger family, instead of just thinking about myself, it’s all about the team,” said Cody Luangrath, a senior on the varsity football team said.
There are many benefits to being a student-athlete, like being a part of an amazing team community, but there are also some aspects that can get rough.
“I think the hardest part is just time management and making sure you have time to do all your school work and any other things in your life while having practice every day and games twice a week,” Kyra Miesel, a senior on varsity soccer said.
According to the Lake Stevens Athletic Code, As a student-athletes, according to the Lake Stevens Athletic Code, students have to keep up a grade standard of at least a 2.0 GPA and no F’s in the most recent grading period to be academically eligible to play in games., meaning they must have at least a 2.0 GPA and no F’s in the most recent grading period.
“It’s definitely good because you don’t wanna have bad grades and then still be able to play, so it keeps everyone in check and helps people stay balanced with grades and school,” Reagan Rich, a senior runner on the varsity cross country team said.
Some student-athletes find the grading standard helpful, while others find it a little more stressful.
“It’s a big difference because classes are harder, but the volleyball is also more intense, so it’s a heavy load on both sides,” Audrey Iseminger, a freshman on the varsity volleyball team said.
Student-athletes at Lake Stevens are held to this academic standard to make sure they aren’t only focusing on sports, but also the academic side of their lives.
“These are student-athletes, not athlete-students,” Josh Fountain, the girl’s cross country coach said.
The GPA standard at LSHS is a double-edged sword. It holds students to a standard to make sure they aren’t only prioritizing sports, but it also can become a burden on an athlete’s time management. Some students appreciate it and some would be happier without it.
Lake Stevens High School has about 427 student-athletes playing in fall sports and 20% of the students responded to a survey about their experience as a student-athlete.
Even though so many students have such a good GPA, many of them still prioritize their sports over their school work occasionally. Over 55% of students said they prioritize sports two times a week or more, so there are some varying opinions on the balance of school and sports.
77% of Lake Stevens fall student-athletes who responded to the survey said they have a GPA of 3.5-4.0, which is well above the required GPA to be eligible for a sport.
“The median GPA for an athlete is 3.7. And the median GPA for non-athletes is 3.45,” according to StatCrunch. The grade standard for student-athletes may be acting as a motivator for them, pushing them to keep their grades up so that they are able to play.
Another big aspect of high school sports here at Lake Stevens are the goals, aspirations, and communities of the different teams have.
“One of the biggest goals that we have is to bring in another state championship. But first, we gotta, we just gotta focus on the what’s next. So WESCO championships, and then on to the next,” Luangrath said.
Mateo Rivera, a junior from the boy’s tennis team, also commented with his team saying that it gave him a good community and place to be, along with a healthy structure and routine.
There are a lot of examples of positive atmospheres and uplifting teams here at Lake Stevens High School. Many athletes commented on the beauty of being on a team and being able to have that support system all around them.
“Upperclassmen are always willing to give rides to people. There is a tight-knit community in the running world, and they all support each other really well,” Fountain said.
The teams at LSHS all strive to uphold the legacy of Lake Stevens Athletics, whether it’s through their goals, achievements, intensity, or community. Even though balancing a school-sport dynamic can be difficult, the student-athletes at Lake Stevens work hard to keep up both good grades and competitive athletics.
