Extracurricular activities have become an essential part of many students’ lives. There so many activities students can choose from and the list just keeps growing by the minute. These activities can be used for a wide range of reasons. Some students may participate in them to keep their mind off of the stresses of school. Some may use them to put on their college applications to prove that they are well rounded individuals. And some may participate in them just for the fun of it. Whatever the reason, extracurricular activities are popular nowadays and one of the most popular activities students choose to participate in is sports.

     Sports have become apart of many students’ regular school day. For one student athlete sports have become apart of who he is and is no longer just something to do after school. Ameer Lawrence, a senior at Bishop Noll, currently plays four sports; golf, tennis, bowling, and cheer. Ameer’s sports skills came naturally in his opinion. He says that he enjoys all the sports he participates in, but bowling is his personal favorite.  

  “Bowling is and hopefully will always be my one true love,” Ameer said.

     Although extracurricular activities are full of fun, there can also be struggles that come along with it. Especially when playing multiple sports. Ameer says that he has quit these sports multiple times due to frustration, but he could not stay away from them for too long. He would always return to them with an attitude of determination. And would how improvement in his game. Ameer’s focus and drive to do better is what helps him to perform so well in all the sports he plays. He also uses video analysis, his own little tricks and methods, and watching his favorites players and trying to imitate them, as tools to help him improve his game.

    Aside from playing sports, Ameer also participates in other school activities. He is currently an active member of the Athletic Council and is the only student in his Chinese 4 class. Ameer plans on going on a trip to China with his Chinese class over Thanksgiving break. According to Ameer the key to maintaining a busy schedule is knowing when and what to say no to. You cannot overbook yourself, because if you do, this will bring an overwhelming amount of stress. Although participating in multiple extracurricular activities is a lot to deal with Ameer thinks that anyone who has a desire to do it should follow their passion as long as they know they can handle it.

    After high school Ameer plans to study psychology and get his doctorate degree.

  “I would love to continue all of them. But realistically, I would love to continue bowling, cheer, and either golf or tennis depending on scholarships and what school wants me to play what,” Ameer said.

  He believes that sports could be a great way to relieve some of the stress that his future career might bring and it could be a great way to meet new people and create new connections. Although participating in multiple extracurricular activities may seem extremely difficult and almost impossible, Ameer continues to prove that if you are dedicated it is definitely possible.