For local high school athlete Neil, days can start pretty early and end rather late since he continues to juggle academics with athletics. At 6:40 AM each morning, Neil wakes up to a very deliberate routine. His breakfast? Two and a half scoops of Ghost Chips Ahoy protein powder mixed with 2% milk—stirred just enough to leave chunks intact. Most days, he ends up adding a banana or a bowl of pretzel sticks to round off his morning meal.
Neil leaves the house at 6:55 AM, reaches school in enough time to sit in the car and scroll through TikTok-a little break before school-gets inside the building, meets up with friends, and heads to his first period. He navigates through classes and hallways until afternoon bells ring.
But all of that is not all of Neil’s day. Immediately after school, he goes to the football locker room. On Mondays and Wednesdays, which are weightlifting days, he changes out of school clothes into his required workout attire and initiates a hard, serious work-out of weights. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for football practices, dressing out in full gear to prepare for the upcoming Friday game.
Not everyone finds it easy to strike a balance between academics and athletics. Neil, however, has managed to get into both with much commitment. Be it in the weightlifting arena or running drills on the football field, it is his adherence to routine that makes him stand out as a student-athlete.
