Spring sports teams are going non-stop until the end of their seasons due to all of the weather issues and scheduling complications, meaning that the athletes are leaving classes early to get to their sporting events.

“It is frustrating [when the students have to leave early] because sometimes I know that a student could do better if he or she were in the class,” said Economics teacher Kris Wrobel.

The athletes generally have to leave their classes anywhere from 9:00 in the morning for golf to 1:45 in the evening for softball, baseball, tennis and track.

“For students that don’t manage their time well or that need extra time [to do their homework], I definitely think this [leaving early for sports] affects their grades,” said Chemistry teacher Donna Wojciechowski.

The students definitely need to stay on top of their game and on top of their homework in order to keep up in their classes.

“I usually ask at the beginning of class what I’m going to miss so I don’t disrupt the class when I have to leave or otherwise I ask at the beginning of the day,” said junior track athlete Abbey Johnson.

Students missing so much class time might start to interfere with the teachers’ plans if a lot of the students are gone, which could be frustrating.

“It is only frustrating if the student’s don’t take the initiative to come in early or during a focus to get caught up OR if the student uses it as an excuse for not being on top of what’s going on,” said Wojciechowski.

The teachers also have expectations for the students if they do have to leave early for one of their sporting events.

“My expectations are that the students come in early or take time during lunch to catch back up BEFORE they come to class the next time,” said Wojciechowski.

They also expect the students to take responsibility and ask around, talk to their peers and see what they missed.

“Be responsible and plan ahead!  Contact fellow students in class for notes, get handouts, and read,” said Wrobel.

Missing just one class can get you really behind in your classes especially with the A/B scheduling, so the teachers try and help out the students who are not in class as much as they can.

“I handle athletes leaving early due to sports by recording what we do in class and saving it in the U: drive so they can listen to the recordings and keep up,” said Wojciechowski.

But if the students plan ahead, get their work done and are responsible, when has leaving school early ever been a bad thing?

“If a student is dedicated, they will be successful in academics no matter what. You have to have the drive to be successful – just like in sports,” said Wrobel.