Fitness Friday: High School Sports

Were you active in high school sports?  Run track? Play basketball? Cheerleading?  Anything?  I wasn't.  Not even a little bit.  Sure, I was in the marching band for a couple years until I rebelled and quit.  I sang in choir and was in a few school musicals (always in the chorus, never a speaking role), but I never even attempted sports in high school.

Maybe this is why I've pushed encouraged my kids to try their hands at sports.  I want my kids to be active and healthy.  I want them to be busy.  Sometimes I think maybe I've taken it a bit too far.

My daughter is a jock.  She officially proved it last night by earning her first varsity letter in diving - as a freshman!


To say I'm proud of her would be an understatement.  But, she also makes me crazy.  She butts heads with her coach on a regular a basis and puts the A in Attitude.  She's taking 3 AP classes, in the competition marching band, and is stressed out about homework and learning how to make everything she has to do fit into the hours of the day.  It won't get any easier next season when she does gymnastics or in the spring when she runs track.  But, she'll figure it out.  Because that's who she is.  High school sports and a heavy academic load are going to prepare her for the time management skills she needs in college and beyond.

Now, not to discount my son, either.  He tried sports in middle school and they weren't for him.  But, he's no slacker either.  He also takes 3 AP classes, is in the competition marching band, in jazz band, and just auditioned for and got a role in the first high school play he's ever tried out for.  Granted, he's not quite as busy as his sister, but his laid back, chill attitude is really keeping me sane right now.  I've even told him as much.  Pretty soon I'll be posting video of his thespian pursuits, and I think that's pretty freaking cool too.

What about you?  Were you active in HS sports or the arts?  How did you learn to manage it all?