I am from Mead, CO and this issue is personal to me. As a student athlete myself, I’ve experienced the struggle of balancing attentive academic schedules with demanding athletic commitments. The stress of being good at a sport and having good grades can oftentimes be overbearing and it can oftentimes leave little time for other important activities like homework or spending time with friends and family. 

integrating athletic periods into high school schedules will provide student athletes with more time to focus on their academics and do other important activities. These athletic periods aren’t making it about the athlete part, but more about making it easier for these student athletes to balance their sport and their life because even though it is the kid’s choice to play that sport and take on a heavier load, that doesn’t mean the school can’t help them out a little bit because in the end these are kids that we want to help build up and not tear down. 

According to Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise it was found that “Sports participation during school hours was more beneficial for academic performance compared with sport participation outside school hours.”  While this may be the case, most schools in the country have not integrated athletic periods into their schedule.

By integrating these periods into the high schools schedules locally, we would be setting an example for others to follow nationwide. We would be acknowledging that student athletes are not just athletes - they are students first.

Let's make this change for our community's young people who strive every day to be the best in both their sport and in the classroom. Please sign this petition urging our local education authorities to incorporate athletic periods into high school schedules for student athletes.