Being a student-athlete can be a constant juggle between academics and athletics. As hours stack up and the days seem too short, balancing these things can feel impossible.
Lakeland High School athletic coaches and students are very good at managing their time, staying on track for graduation and prioritizing their sports. However, one team at LHS stood out regarding academics, and that was the Lakeland dance team.
Pushing physical boundaries daily, the dance team can choreograph and execute new dances almost weekly. These dancers are extremely physically talented and they recently were awarded the highest GPA of any winter sports team at LHS.
Close to the dance team was the girl’s basketball team. This is an honorable award, as many winter sports hold high-performing students.
With just under twenty girls on the team, this award is also notable because smaller groups need help to earn it more.
The average GPA of all winter sports teams at LHS is collected, and the team with the highest average GPA is given this award. This year, it was LHS’s dance team.
Mental cages faced by all athletes affect dancers as well. Fatigue, sickness and frustration can circulate in the sport, but each dancer shows undeniable endurance and dedication to their sport.
Weekly competitions and performances leave dancers with jam-packed schedules. Finding a good balance between the two is common for almost all LHS student-athletes.
However, the dancers balanced it surprisingly well with grit and dedication to their team.
The award was well deserved as each dancer put in countless hours towards school and the team. Practices twice a week for two hours and occasional Saturday practices take up lots of the dancers after school time.
Aly Caywood, a junior at LHS, works hard to maintain her time well and make sure all her responsibilities are kept up with.
“I think it’s really important to manage my time well,” Caywood said. “Usually, after dance practice, I try to get home and get my homework done so I can relax and get everything done.”
For any student-athlete, constantly working towards a better balance can be highly stressful. The dance team was able to elevate their performances by attending the practices and keeping a good attendance record and GPA at the school, contradicting the odds that being a solid athlete and student is every dancer on Lakeland’s team.
The dance team dedicates a lot of time to their sport and schooling, along with giving back to the community.
The dance team holds Mini Hawks Dance Camps, where the high school dancers lead a large group of young girls ages 4-12 in learning fun choreography and performing for audiences. This is a huge fundraiser, and many young girls in the Rathdrum community participate in this dance camp.
Proceeds go towards the school and dance team, helping fund travel and costumes. Allowing funding to the dance team in a community-supportive way is favorable to the school.
Inspiring Rathdrum’s youth and giving strong role models is an exciting and beneficial event that is anticipated by not only the girls who sign up but also the leaders on the high school dance team. Giving leadership roles to the dancers can be beneficial to the leaders.
