BALANCING ACT: ORGANIZATION, FOCUS AND A WILL TO SUCCEED HELP STUDENTS BALANCE ATHLETICS AND ACADEMICS

Mitch Ogles worked out in the weight room at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

DeMarco Williams used the weight room at Central High School.

To succeed in academics, a student has to pay attention in class, do their homework and put in extra study time when necessary.

Athletes, on the other hand, must concentrate, practice and perform well under pressure to succeed in their chosen sport.

Student athletes combine all of these skills to enhance their academic and athletic performances. They must be well-organized, focused and have a will to succeed in order to give their best in the classroom and on the playing field.

DeMarco Williams and Mitch Ogles, both 18, are student athletes at Cape Girardeau Central High School. Both participate in two sports apiece and are regularly included on academic honor roll lists.

They said student athletes have the best of both worlds: They are expanding knowledge in the classroom while simultaneously gaining competitive skills and lifelong friends in their athletic programs. Both said they enjoy athletic competition, but don't fit into the "dumb jock" stereotype. Neither do the majority of athletes at their school fit this description, they said.

"I make exceptionally good grades, so I know it's a stereotype," said Ogles. "Around here it's not a problem. All of our athletes are pretty good students."

In fact, academic skills are improved by participation in athletics, said Ogles and Williams. Athletes can have better concentration skills, and they have to have good organizational skills to keep their schedules in order, they said.

"I know how much work I've got to get done so I just budget my time," said Williams, who is a primary player on Central's football and track teams. "Both of them are important to me, and you can't play a sport if your grades aren't right."

Ogles, who is a football and baseball player, said he doesn't regret the lack of free time he has during sports seasons. "The hardest part is the amount of free time you lose," he said. "It's not really lost free time; you're really investing your time."

Student athletes are more open to public scrutiny than regular students or athletes. They often are held up as role models for younger children, so it's important that they maintain good grades and strong athletic performances.

Both Ogles and Williams said they often visit area elementary schools to speak to young children. Their invitations are based on their demonstrated abilities as student athletes, they said.

"It's another reason you want to act right, because people are looking at you," Ogles said.

Williams agreed. "We have to make sure we're doing our best in everything because the younger kids look up to us," he said. "We don't want to let ourselves or our families down, but we don't want to let them (the kids) down, either."