Early mornings spent training, followed by long school days and nights spent studying. The life of a student athlete is centered around balance; however, as Habi Ortiz (pictured below), junior on the varsity football team, explained, balancing school and sports is just something you do, it’s a skill one  acquires through multiple failed quizzes and missed hours of sleep.
Sports are a great commitment the students of ACP take on throughout all grade levels. However, athletes are not exempt from homework, and the stress of not disappointing a coach or teacher may become overwhelming. With practice ending hours after school lets out, one may expect to be up until 11 pm, even 12 am, on any given night. Some sports have early starts to their day with practice being held before school, sometimes before the sun rises. However, this does not discourage our fellow knights.

Habi expresses how some of his favorite memories were made with the team, such as late night bus rides. His goals for this year are to “win state and set records”, and with his fellow teammates, these goals are well within reach. His advice to first year athletes is, “Don’t lose focus… or stop thinking about being better than who you were yesterday… time and effort will be worth it at the end of the day.” Sports are stressful; however, the outcomes prove worthwhile because of the fans screaming as you sprint to the end zone, your team cheering as you outreach your opponent in the lane next to you, or the relief as you take the last stride and cross the finish line. Our teams become our family, and as a third year varsity swimmer, I can say with certainty my team is truly my second family. Sore muscles and tired eyes are nothing compared to dropping the last second to qualify for state, or finally, after weeks of relentless practice, perfecting a complicated cheer routine. Sports are one of the many ways all grade levels become united and a family. Moments like these are ones to remember throughout life, for they are a reminder of the craft one spent years perfecting.