When school gets out on June 15, the summer can only sound so appealing to the fall athletes at East. With games starting in middle to late September, teams like soccer, football and field hockey need to start practice in August. The excruciating preseason practices cause these athletes’ summers to end a little earlier than anticipated.

The long hours of preseason practices allow each team to bond and practice before schoolwork enters the athletes’ lives come September 1. The coaches also have the opportunity to get to know who will be playing for them in the fall.

On the other hand, many student athletes at East dislike the fact that their summers are cut short just because they want to play a fall sport. Many families find themselves missing out on vacation and relaxation time because they have to be in Cherry Hill, so their child can play a sport. There is logical reasoning behind the idea of August preseasons, but all the athletes see are their summers being cut off.

Similar to August preseason, winter athletes do not have the opportunity to spend their winter breaks with family and friends due to games and practices being scheduled throughout the break. These athletes are advised to stay home during Christmas break, but technically can still go on vacation. Although, if the athletes were to go on vacation they would see punishments later in the season. Some of the scheduling decisions are too demanding for high school athletes, athletes who most of the time do not have a future solely relying on athletic talent.

The games scheduled during students’ breaks from school are not just East’s problem. The opponents that East faces over the breaks are also in the middle of the issue, and these schools are similarly keeping their athletes from meager days off. Together, the schools need to come to a logical conclusion regarding scheduling over breaks.

Again, in the spring, athletes are kept at East in order to practice for their upcoming games or even participate in early season match ups. The spring athletes, or any athletes for that matter, feel as if they are almost being punished for wanting to participate in a sport. Not just athletes, but coaches are kept from their limited days off of school.

With these rigorous schedules come positives and negatives for East athletes. These extra practices help the teams when the postseason comes around or in a regular season game that has a close score. The additional hours can be beneficial if done right with discipline and accomplishment. Although, it is hard for East’s athletes to see through the idea that they do not really have days off when their peers get a break. East athletics never truly stop whether it is for the better or the worse.