Whether we discuss sports, clubs, leadership roles or honors societies, almost every student contributes to an extracurricular activity at Blue Valley North. In addition to their academic requirements, one of the most common activities is to play a sport.
There are athletes throughout all grade levels at Blue Valley North and a wide variety of sports are available to be a part of. Sophomore Molly Stevens has been swimming for a club team for over five years.
“I swim for the Kansas City Blazers, and I have been for most of my swimming career,” Stevens said.
The Kansas City Blazers have been a part of the swimming community for over 40 years, and they are known for their traveling teams, just like the one Stevens is on.
“The furthest I have traveled is probably St. Petersburg, Florida,” Stevens added.
Similar to the Blazers, many teams often travel multiple times a year, leaving student-athletes with the need to find time to do schoolwork and still prevail in their sport.
“I usually do schoolwork on my trip, so that I have less to worry about once I get back, but teachers should be more flexible,” Stevens said.
Similar to Stevens, Senior Caitlin Scott has also been traveling for her sport as she is a soccer player.
“I have been playing and traveling for Sporting Blue Valley for around 13 years,” Scott said.
As a Senior, she is still undecided on which school she plans to further her academic and athletic career at.
“I really hope I will keep doing soccer in College,” Scott said. “I hope to commit to one soon.”
Stevens claimed that having people to be around who share the same goals as her makes each practice a little easier. Nonetheless, having to be well-rounded from a young age has given Stevens skills that she does not feel she could have gotten any other way.
“I have to deal with the workload so much to the point where my time management has gotten better,” Stevens added.
Just like Stevens, Scott has also sharpened her time management skills the most.
“If I had to choose one skill that I have gotten from soccer, it would be time management.
Despite the sport, traveling for a team throughout the year to build an athletic career while also being committed to building an academic career can be a challenge. For Stevens, swimming has been an integral part of her life. Being an athlete can open doors for many opportunities; however, it can also affect a student’s adolescent life more than people may notice.
