Finding the Balance to Handle It All
May 31, 2019
It’s a challenge to find balance as a high school student and it is especially challenging when one is an athlete who plays both on the school team as well as on a club team.
High school comes with school work, stress, extracurriculars and, of course, sports. Soccer, our winter sport, has two very competitive teams. Starting their practices in late November, players have a tight schedule of school, soccer and homework.
With their busy schedules, loads of school work and a busy sports schedule, how do they handle it all?
We interviewed senior Dylan Young, juniors Luca Wahlberg, Sulaiman Bah, Patrick Otte and Abdul Fatta Koroma and sophomore Beatriz Lujan Aguilar six athletes who have been playing all year long both on the Santa Barbara Soccer Club and on our school teams where these athletes are key players.
How did you become interested in soccer?
“My uncle used to take me to go watch our national team play, and sometimes we would go to the cinema to watch pros which inspired me a lot.”
– Sulaiman Bah
What sacrifices have you made to play club soccer and school soccer?
“The sacrifices that I have had to make are managing my time because of the amount of school work I have after playing both school and club soccer. Soccer games take the whole weekend.”
– Bea Lujan Aguilar
How does the Laguna community help you?
“Laguna Blanca supports me in many ways. The atmosphere is great. Laguna soccer is a lot of fun, playing alongside your friends after a long day is unique, and is something that will not go on forever. But also grow- ing as a player is a primary aspect of playing at Laguna Blanca.”
– Patrick Otte
Do you have a plan for the future?
“To be a professional soccer player, travel the world, help the needy and do so by many things, not just soccer. I want to have my own foundation and build an orphanage for unprivileged kids and try to take them off the street because every child deserves an education. I want to make the world a better place, that’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I want to give to people, not be- cause I have many, but because I know what it feels to have nothing.”
– Abdul Fatta Koroma
What food keeps you going?
“I eat a lot of chicken. But I don’t drink soda or eat junk food. It’s important to cut out.”
– Dylan Young
Luca’s Weekend Soccer Schedule
Friday: 4-5:30 p.m. practice
Saturday: 6:00 a.m. wakeup 11:00 a.m. game
Sunday: 6:00 a.m. wakeup 1:00 p.m. game
– Luca Wahlberg
