“Varsity Versus Gym Class” by Kelley Harrington is a thought-provoking article. Kelley argues that varsity athletes should be able to drop gym class and use the last hour of the day to practice with their team. She claims that this would allow athletes to get home earlier to do homework, get more sleep, avoid injuries, and have more energy for games.

I totally agree and can relate. I am a captain of the varsity volleyball team and know the tremendous work it takes to manage sleep, homework, sports, and school. Our practices do not even begin until 5 p.m. and I'm often not home until 8 or 9 p.m. Some days when homework is overwhelming, I am not in bed until 1 or 2 a.m. This creates a very stressful life, and many days it is hard to manage the grueling schedule.

Kelley offers a plan to help the athlete: create a class where teams can practice and be finished at a decent hour, and students' daily schedules will be much improved. Everyone will benefit from more time for homework, better sleep schedules, improved game play, and fewer injuries.