Double Booked

1 day ago

3 min read

By Amelia Vaz and Jane Nam Nov. 4, 2026

Crumpled, blue-lined papers with hastily written, unfinished notes; a butter-yellow Post-it note serving as a makeshift bookmark for an unread chapter; calculations scrawled on half-completed math homework presented to the teacher. Students who miss class due to various school-sponsored extracurricular activities—including sports, Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE), Speech and Debate or Drama—may share similar struggles of catching up with missed lessons, completing in-class assignments and finishing up overdue homework.

Oftentimes, outside commitments require students to miss class time to fulfill their extracurricular responsibilities. About two-thirds of the student body is enrolled in a sport at some point during the school year. Games or competitions mandate some athletes leave school an hour early; however, for water polo, golf and cheer, at times it can be the entire school day. Despite these absences, some student-athletes still maintain strong academic performance through their own efforts.

Students can retake quizzes and tests in tutorial since teachers are required to give student-athletes the chance to retake. Teachers also cannot negatively impact an athlete’s participation grade if they were absent from class.

“We have 2.2 GPA athletes, but we also have 3.8 GPA athletes. This fall we have around 286-300 students participating in a sport, and out of that we only have 2 academically ineligible students, meaning their GPA is below a 2.0. Tutorial has had some level of positive effect on the athletes, as students can utilize that time to work with their teachers to catch up on missed lessons or material,” said Mike Sparrer, Athletics Director.

Sparrer emphasizes the importance of clear expectations when students choose to commit to a sport. Coaches should outline the time commitment so student-athletes understand what participation entails. Although students occasionally drop out of their sport, more often than not related to academic reasons, Sparrer estimates that only four to five people leave per season.

Senior Saachi Basavaraju participated in the cross country team for her first three years of high school, and then for her senior year, she took a break.

“My initial plan was to compete in cross country all four years of high school, but I found that it took up all my free time in the first semester of senior year. While the sport was very grounding for me, quitting gave me the flexibility to focus on lower-stakes, more enjoyable hobbies like dance and volunteering, ” Basavaraju said.

While most students are able to plan out their extracurricular pursuits around their existing class schedules, Junior Jiyun Yun’s Speech and Debate schedule has grown increasingly demanding ever since she joined as a freshman. Initially, she prioritized schoolwork over Speech and Debate, but her tournament schedule has been consuming her time as of recent.

“Most of our travel tournaments are on the weekends because the commute takes extra time. However, even regular tournaments are 12 hours long, so most of the time I miss out on school to attend my tournaments. It is time-consuming, but it does not negatively impact my schoolwork because I am given enough time to make up for what I missed,” said Yun.

According to Katrina Thoman, Math Department, most of her students are proactive and willing to advocate for themselves, allowing for their success in her class.

“Despite missing entire classes, my students still get high A’s and B’s. Communication plays a big part in helping them bridge the gap between what they missed and what we are currently learning in class. Most of the teachers at the school are flexible with due dates and missed assignments,” said Thoman.

Even with the scheduling conflicts from extracurriculars, most students find ways to make their commitments work. By adjusting their schedules and speaking up for themselves, students are better able to balance coursework and extracurricular obligations while still making time for themselves.

About the Contributors

Amelia Vaz

Staff Writer

Amelia Vaz is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. Often times she can be found hanging out with her friends, trying out a new recipe, fixing a DIY project or petsitting cats.

Jane Nam

Staff Writer

Jane Nam is a freshman at Leland High School who is in Journalism as a writer for her elective. When she isn't studying or researching, she usually crafts random stories and animates on her iPad.