With the winter basketball season in full effect, student athletes find themselves juggling schoolwork and sports to fit in with their busy lives. For Brandon Wheelen, a sophomore on the Eagle High varsity team, time management is a must.
“I usually have practice right after school, so I try to get as much work done in school as I can, and whatever I don’t do, I do it after practice,” Wheelen said. “I’d say for the most part, I stay pretty balanced between the two.” While maintaining his 3.8 GPA, he is able to focus on his sport.
“In middle school, I played football and track, but I realized that I just want to focus on basketball and take it to the next level, and I figured if I just focused on basketball, it would help my chances of doing that,” he said. With focusing his time, he has taken his high school basketball career to the next level by being one of the few sophomores on the boys’ varsity team.
Going into a new sports season can be a stressor for student athletes with practices, games and team events on top of schoolwork.
“My teammates are supportive, and if you make a mistake, they hold you accountable but in a positive way,” Wheelen said. He embraces training and feedback to take his learned skills into games.
“The coaches definitely hold us accountable,” Wheelen said. “They’re always looking at us when we’re playing and if we make any mistakes, they’re pretty positive and quick to helping us fix it so that we do not make that mistake again.”
Wheelen has played for many years and support from his family has helped him through it.
“I would say my dad inspires me. He tries to talk about issues I have in basketball, so I can clear it up. He definitely keeps me going,” Wheelen said. “I grew up around sports, I had friends and family members who played sports, so it’s always been in my life”
Wheelen’s love for the sport and support from his family and friends has helped him fuel his passion. He works hard to maintain his spot on the varsity Basketball team, staying positive practicing hard and balancing his schedule.
