Always hungry, on the move, and overworked. Sounds like a wild animal, right? Well, actually, this very well might be someone you know! Meet a high school student athlete, more specifically, a swimmer.
For most high school students, waking up at 6 am is not something to look forward to. But for junior Chloe Wies, this is the start of an unrelenting 17-hour sprint.
Chloe is a student-athlete who lives by the clock, fitting two demanding swim practices around a full high school day. Her commitment often forces her to sacrifice personal time, hobbies, and even sleep. Yet, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I like it, being busy,” she says, even though it “can definitely be frustrating” when it comes to keeping up with schoolwork. The heart of her day begins the moment she steps out of bed to prepare for her first session: high school swim practice at Meadowbrook pool starting at 7:00 a.m.
Not only do swimmers have to wake up early for practice, but they must also cram getting ready in between practice and the start of the school day. “I have, typically, 15 minutes in the locker room, and then I have to drive… and then I have like 10 or 15 more minutes to get ready. So it’s like 20-25 minutes,” Wies said.
Mornings can become chaotic after practice, especially with their practice space being a community pool. Wies emphasizes, “I definitely feel rushed. Our coach is always yelling at us… to get out of the locker room so the lifeguards don’t get mad at us.”
The rush doesn’t stop when the school bell rings at 3:40 p.m. With barely a ten-minute window, Wies drives immediately to her club practice, which runs from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., or sometimes as late as 6:45 p.m. if there is additional dry-land training.
After this second shift in the pool, the evening is dedicated to catching up. She goes home to shower, eat dinner, and complete homework, aiming to be asleep between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. before the whole cycle starts over again.
Although sports may be rewarding, sacrifices sometimes must be made for an athlete to prioritize their sport. For many student-athletes, playing a school-sanctioned sport alongside a club sport can leave very little time for outside activities. For Wies, sacrifice has been a component of her jam-packed schedule.
“I used to like to read a bunch and anything art related, like I’d paint, but it’s really hard to keep up with all that… I just don’t have the time to do it, which sucks,” Wies said.
Alongside hobbies, student-athletes are forced to choose between sleep, friendships, and schoolwork in their free time. When it comes down to these priorities, Wies says, “I feel like I typically push away my friends… I think my education and my practice can be more important sometimes, though I do sometimes push my sleep, which I know isn’t good.”
For many high school athletes, having practice every day can take a big physical toll on their bodies. With little to no time for recovery, they must be in good shape and stay on top of injuries and recovery.
“It’s hard to be at practice every single morning and night, like, say I strain something or… I’m just really sore from the practice the day before. It’s hard to wake up and go straight back to practice.” For athletes needing help with these inconveniences, they can always use our athletic trainer, Bethany Vandivort, as a resource.
Beyond the pool, Wies’s recovery routine is centered on nutrition and consistent stretching. She makes a conscious effort to eat more protein after her workouts and combats the morning rush by packing all her food the night before. Fueling up between school and her second practice is a constant battle.
“It’s hard because I’m the one driving, so I have about 20 or 30 minutes to eat, but it’s still—it’s definitely rushed,” she says. To prevent injury from the constant strain, she adheres to a strict recovery schedule, stretching every morning and night.
Being on a grind every day can be a lot for athletes, especially for Wies, with two practices every day, getting through the week can be challenging.
Wies’s least favorite part of her training is Friday morning club practice. [It] is always the worst. It’s long distance, it’s IM, and I just try to think of getting out of practice in two hours.”
“The schedule gets even more complicated on a meet day,” Wies said. While morning practices are lighter and led by the captains, the afternoon requires leaving school before the final bell—sometimes as early as 2:00 p.m. for an away meet. This forces her to plan, acknowledging that she needs to use those days to “get more rest or like, definitely try to not strain myself so I’m not sore for the meet.”
Despite the demands of this schedule, Wies still appreciates the routine. After the school season ends, Wies said. “I miss it because of the friends and the relationships I have on the team, but I get more rest in my body, like, rests more, which is definitely needed during the rest of the club season.”
