Asek, a Grade 9 student, playing in the recent CABC Basketball Tournament at Tashkent International School
By: Mirzokhid Ganiev
Our school, with its rather small size, has a considerably vast sports program. Students compete nationally and internationally, representing the school and bringing back the glory. However, within such an athletic ability, is there a tinge of academic hardship? Or are these student-athletes academic weapons who are devouring the books and the hoops? We interviewed 3 student-athletes to find out!
What kind of academic disasters might the students face with?
As students are coming back from international competitions, as recently seen with the CABC Basketball Tournament at Tashkent International School or with the upcoming Volleyball tournament in Astana, students are swamped with week-long tournaments, where they are missing vital school presence and study time. Specifically, students from 12th and 10th grade are expected to ready themselves for their final IB or IGCSE exams while they have weekly training which last hours on end. A setup that creates some loss of academic presence.
A younger student, Aisha Turdieva from grade 8 (who plays for the girls’ under 15 basketball team), had noted how it is not hard to be part of the school team and still be a proper prospering student. She had acknowledged that it could be hard if you do not balance your athletic and academic life, but it is not one of her concerns.
A younger student, Aisha Turdieva from grade 8 (who plays for the girls’ under 19 basketball team), had noted how it is not hard to be part of the school team and still be a proper prospering student. She had acknowledged that it could be hard if you do not balance your athletic and academic life, but it is not one of her concerns. There was a clear understanding that sports are a vital and healthy aspect of our education and that our student-athletes rather benefit from scheduled, weekly, training and challenges. The positive impact of regular athletic activities has been known for many centuries, and these students, including Aisha Turdieva, have been gaining the most advantage.
Image of Igana Alieva taking a free shot in the recent CABC Basketball Tournament at Tashkent International School
What is, however, the general schedule for such students?
Depending on which team, and in which age group you are in, your weekly practice time varies, and your out-of-school games are scheduled on varying weeks. In the case of Aisha Turdieva, she has about 1-2 hours of training on Mondays, which is usually done after school hours in ECA time. For another example, the boys’ basketball under 19 team trains on Thursdays, from 4:30 to 5:30.
As seen, the actual training hours are limited, and as such, we can understand how such an active lifestyle is not much of a drainage to their academics. However, on an unknown level, when the players are nearing a major competition or a tournament, the training usually gets pumped up. As seen with the boy’s volleyball team, where their average 2 training periods a week (on Tuesdays and Fridays) got pumped up to nearly about 5 training periods a week. With training sessions happening on daily basis, except Thursday – as reported by Jacob Templeton from grade 12. They all are training hard for the upcoming April tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan.
On an academic basis, there seems to be no correlation between the hours of training and their academic excellence. Some students do well, while others get by, even if they follow the same training schedule as others. On a normal basis, in the case of a student Yujie Liu (Jack) of grade 12, some of them have regular study periods to keep up with their academics, and in reality, athletic training sessions instead give them a moment of rest and a break from all the school chaos. Being away from school for a week, or having a fun afternoon once a week, all are important parts of building a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Being an athlete is not Jack’s primary concern, but is a proper and healthy aspect of his student life.
Image of Asek Wheeler taking a free shot in the recent CABC Basketball Tournament at Tashkent International School
It, on an overall basis, to understand the hardships a student-athlete might face, one has to ask the student directly. On a more general form, such a school life was never a hindrance in their academic or personal life. Do remember to cheer for our school, and be there, whenever possible. to support our players in their games.
If you, regardless of if you are a student athlete, feel as if you are struggling in your studies and studying properly, do check out Student Life’s The Power of Active Learning: Techniques to Enhance Your Study Sessions article!