Athlete Check-In: John Carroll players weigh in on finding balance and training during the pandemic

*Volleyball athletes from John Carroll Catholic High School share what volleyball means to them, how they find balance, and how they’ve navigated training during the pandemic.*

By Cortney Kynard

Volleyball is a team sport that involves everyone just as much as it counts on an individual. Volleyball means something different for everyone.

Courtney Kynard said, “It's a great way to create new relationships with people with similar interests. You can express your competitive side, stay in shape, become mentally tougher, and learn about teamwork.”

All in all, volleyball is a mental sport just as much as it's a physical sport. Volleyball involves all the senses, which is what makes the sport so interesting.

Covid has had a significant impact on students and their sports life. Some have been positive, some have been negative. In all, the virus has made restrictions for practices and has impacted player’s time with their team.

In order to get ahead during the time of the pandemic, you had to work on your own time and discipline yourself to put in the work ethic. Athlete Hope Lacy said, “The pandemic made me think more about practicing on my own time. I didn’t want to be a couch potato”. This taught athletes about managing their time and working on their mental health.

Balancing sports practices and school work can be very challenging.

“Time management was the hardest thing to learn,” Elizabeth Boackle said.

The main focus while balancing practices and schoolwork is mental health. Making sure that you’re mentally stable enough to multitask and have your brain going two different ways is the key to this lifestyle.

The other part of mental health is slowing down. No matter how fast life is going, you have to be able to take time to yourself. You have to make sure you get enough sleep while doing schoolwork and improving your volleyball skills.