Balancing academics and athletics in school can feel like juggling two full-time jobs. This has been my existence since I started playing travel baseball in middle school. Every year, through middle school and now in high school, the challenge to balance baseball and school gets more complicated as the workload increases. Between practices, games, homework, and exams, if you don’t employ the right strategies, a student-athlete often finds themselves stretched thin. For me, time management is the key. I use my free periods in school to get as much work done as possible. I also utilize the long drives to tournaments to do any reading assignments. I also find it helpful to disconnect from academics for a short time to give my mind a break so I can refocus on the task at hand. For me, that means playing with my dog, going to the gym to shoot hoops, or watching sports on TV.