Janae Van Burch | On 29, Nov 2016

Hudson Catholic is filled with phenomenal young adults that manage to be both strong athletes and even stronger students. Some students are able to balance both school and sports and manage to do it very well. The Commentator was able to speak to a few of the Hawks that pull off this great task everyday.

Junior Katherine Boyle is a member of the Hudson Catholics girls soccer team and is also a De la Salle Scholar. Boyle shows that she can be a superb athlete and an even stronger student on a daily basis.

When asked how she balances school and soccer Boyle, often referred to as Katie by peers and faculty, replied, “Balancing my grades and soccer can be hard at times but it really comes down to organization. I find when I know where everything is, and it’s organized, my head is a little less crazy.”

Boyle went on to express some feelings of frustration.

“Being a student athlete can become a little overwhelming at times. Between school work, SAT prep, college searches, and hours of workouts, there are times I question if it is all worth it.”

Boyle continued, “When all my friends are going out and my response is, ‘I can’t because I have practice’, [it] can get aggravating because I feel like my time is slipping away. But then I remember how much I love the sports I play and that thought just slips away.”

Another great student athlete is senior Tomatse Ogedege, a six-time state champion in various track and field events. Ogedegbe is also an honor student who values his grades highly.

When asked how he manages to balance school and a successful track career, he replied very differently then Boyle–Ogedegbe seemed more at ease.

“Keeping my grades up while being a successful student athlete has never really been an issue for me,” Ogedegbe said. “In the house I come from, work always comes before play. Spending a large amount of time studying and prepping for the next day of classes is critical for college and my future after college or professional athletics.”

He continued, “Defending my state championship in track and field for a second year in a row is just as important as getting my school work done and out of the way for me. That’s why I take advantage of every free moment I have to take care of pending assignments and projects, so I can have enough time to get better at my sport. “

Finally, The Commentator spoke with junior Andrea Lombeyda, co-volleyball captain who is also a De la Salle scholar. Like Ogedegbe, she explained that she is able to balance school and sports by also taking advantage of free moments in the day or even during tournaments.

“I usually take my homework wherever I go, so if I have a tournament and it’s an overnight tournament we get an hour study hall every day, so I do my homework then,” Lombeyda explained.

“It does get overwhelming,” she continued. “Especially during club season, even though we get some time to work on homework. Talking to the teachers about my schedule with volleyball helps, and they’re understanding about it”

These three student athletes, along with the many more that attend Hudson Catholic, exemplify the spirit of our school. Hudson Catholic’s student athletes prove each and every day that you can have the best of both worlds.