Being such a small school, Verona High School is home to many students balancing sports and academics, from ninth grade through twelfth grade.  Maintaining a high grade point average can be hard, especially for those involved in extracurricular activities.  VHS student-athletes work hard to create ways to balance school and their sport.

Sydney Watkins is a senior who represents the Hillbillies by playing varsity softball.  The varsity softball team at VHS practices six days a week and will begin to play games in April.  On March 30, they traveled to Orlando, Florida for a four-day weekend to play a tournament.

“Over the past four years of playing softball in high school, I have learned that your will must be stronger than your skill” Sydney explains that she is able to balance school and softball by realizing that you need to be strong minded and stay poised.

Senior Gianna Calandra, who is also a varsity softball player, explains, “I like to have the challenge of having a lot on my plate, because I know that it will help me when I am in college and in the real world.”

Junior Ava Anderson, plays varsity lacrosse in the spring and runs cross country in the fall.  On top of that, she excels in academics.  “Having to balance sports and school teaches time management.  Sometimes, you have to sacrifice doing fun things in order to get everything you have to do done.”

All-star cheerleader and VHS senior Talia Calandra practices at Star Athletics in Boonton, New Jersey at least four days a week and competes all around the country during her competition season.  This year, her team attended the National Cheerleaders Association competition in Dallas, Texas where they won a first place title against some of the top teams in the country.

“It is hard to keep up with school work after having practice during the week and competitions during the weekends, but it is possible, and I think that it is making me a better students.  I am always on top of my work and I try to make sure that my absences from competitions do not impact my grades,” Talia says.

The athletes at VHS work very hard, but most find that the work is worth it in the end and that their hectic schedules will appeal to potential colleges, and help them manage their time when they get there.