Matthew Mans loads a pizza into the wood burning oven at Halagains.
It’s that time of year where students have settled into their classes at school. Along with school comes sports, which means practice after school. Some students also have a job along with the responsibilities of being an athlete. Recently we interviewed GPHS freshman, Matthew Mans, who is in fact juggling school and football while also having a job. Mans manages his time so that he also has time for school work, family, and friends. He said, “It helps me a lot to limit my time on my phone,” This strategy helps him to stay focused.
Not only does he have a lot on his plate, but he is also experiencing a new environment as an incoming freshman. He said, “School work is easier, but football is definitely a bigger commitment.” If you are curious to know just how busy his schedule is, not even counting game days or early morning practices, this is a typical day in his life. He wakes up at 6:00 a.m. and eats breakfast. Then, he has a full 8 hour day of school, with football practice after. Then, it’s time for work and he doesn’t get home until about 10:30 p.m., only leaving about an hour for him to do school work. After finishing everything up he goes to bed around midnight.
Burnout is a very real thing so Matthew shared what motivates him when he does feel burnt out. He said, “Get hyped. Crack jokes. Getting raises and maintaining a high grade.” People are also great motivators, especially those who want to see you succeed. Some people he mentioned were his coaches and his parents. Though being a student-athlete, plus an employee, can be stressful at times, it can also teach you a lot of useful skills to use throughout life.