As the time of daylight continues to grow shorter, STA fall sports are feeling the repercussions. Golf, tennis, and softball often cannot play outdoors past dark because many courses, courts and fields lack electrical lights. Without enough hours in a day, these sports struggle to find an appropriate time to play. When do they find the extra time for tournaments and games?
School. In order to play before dark, STA students are often required to leave classes early. So far, varsity golf has missed 6 days; cross country, 1; Tennis, 5; volleyball, 0; and softball, 6.
“Golf courses are very picky on when they let students [play] because of members,” chemistry teacher Mary Rietbrock said. “I understand that. A lot of softball fields don’t have lights. I understand that too. Schools can’t totally schedule so [students] don’t miss.”
However, with this year’s new scheduling system, this has become a bigger problem than in past years.
“We miss the same class every day,” senior varsity softball player Emma Steck said. “On Wednesdays, I miss a double mod of [honors] physics. It’s a pain because then I have to make up that lab.”
Rietbrock believes science labs are one of the hardest things for students to miss.
“If you miss a lab and have to make it up, you don’t have the benefit of others to help you,” Rietbrock said.
Steck, who has missed 6 days of school so far, believes it is harder to miss certain classes than others.
“Missing math is really hard because you need to be in class to understand it,” Steck said. “But for other classes, like Spanish, I can just get the notes and still understand it.”
Sophomore varsity tennis player Mickey Redlingshafer has also struggled to stay caught up in classes after missing 5 days of school due to tennis. Redlingshafer believes that missing test reviews and class discussions is the hardest part.
“Some people don’t take good notes during discussions, so I can never make up for that,” Redlingshafer said.
Theology teacher Matthew Bertalott also sees this downfall of absences due to school sponsored sports.
“Students can get their notes and their assignments, and they can read their textbook,” Bertalott said. “But I think they don’t have the benefit of hearing me directly or being a part of the dynamic of the classroom.”
Although Redlingshafer believes it is tough to stay caught up, she believes STA teachers and coaches are supporting the idea of the student athlete.
“If you are gone for a sport, [teachers] give you enough time to make things up,” Redlingshafer said. “My coach tries to not take us out of school as much as she can.”
Bertalott believes STA is upholding the idea of a student athlete as well.
“I think all the policies that are in place go to support school, recognizing that sports are part of the high school experience,” Bertalott said. “But it cannot dominate or replace the school to begin with.”
Although sports may be part of the experience, Rietbrock sees them as the student’s own decision.
“It’s a choice you make when you chose to participate,” Rietbrock said. “I believe that you have to make that commitment understanding that [these absences] are going to happen.”
STA’s policy on missing school due to a STA-sponsored athletic event from Student Handbook:
Academic Status
7. Students need to have a 73% grade point average from the previous semester in order to actively participate in extracurricular activities.
8. Excessive absences may exclude a student from extracurricular activities.
Responsibilities and choices: Academic Life
value: we want students to have every opportunity to get the best education possible. Therefore, we value full participation in the academic life of the community.
Expected behaviors for this value: we expect students to make choices which reflect personal responsibility for their academic success. Academic success requires: attending all clases on time, using unstructured time wisely, asking for the help needed, being prepared for and participating in class, getting appropriate stamped signatures, and being present for the entire school day.
