Evan Smith has spent nearly his entire high school career focused on one thing: balancing the academic and athletic sides of school. Every year he has practiced varsity sports while also being in AP classes, filling his schedule to the brim. With May just beginning, his month will be filled with AP exams and competitive track meets, both of which will require his full attention towards if he wishes to be successful. 

How are you able to find a balance between school and sports?

I find a balance between school and athletics by finding the time to get my work done in class and try to get everything done as soon as possible, so that I have ample time to focus on everything else, and that includes sports.

How are you preparing for your AP exams? How are you preparing for the upcoming track meets?

I’m preparing for the exams by completing and studying the reviews that I am given for the classes, and by trying to get a little bit of studying on my own. I prepare for track meets by getting good sleep, setting up my food and clothes, and really just making sure nothing is last second. It is also important to me that I stretch and feel myself out before the meets.

What motivates you to study for AP exams when you have track practice on top of that?

The AP credit is what I do it for. Even though I dread doing it, I understand that once I’m done it’ll be worth it. I know that at this point I have worked like this for every year of high school and this year thus far, and in my mind it would be pointless to quit now. 

What are the goals that you have set out for yourself in both school and sports?

Seeing as it’s my senior year, I really just want to do the best I can. I care about doing well, and for academics, I want to keep my grades up and make sure I don’t have anything other than A’s. For sports, I want to stay healthy and avoid injury at all costs, especially this close to the end of the season.

Is there anyone that inspires you to achieve your goals? How have they inspired you?

My coaches are what inspire me to achieve my goals, as well as myself and my teammates. They’ve inspired me by making me want to reach my fullest potential, in order to be the best person and athlete I can be, along with being academically sound. I also want to help my teammates as much as I can and get them to a winning position.

Are there people you want to achieve your goals for or are they more personal?

My academic goals are more personal because it is more about where I can put myself in the future. But athletically, like I said previously, I work for my coaches to make their team better, and I help my teammates by trying to get them to a position that helps them win.

Do you ever doubt yourself on being able to keep up with both academics and athletics? What do you tell yourself in order to get out of that mindset?

Sometimes I doubt myself, but I usually get out of that rut by a good performance at a meet or by getting a good grade on a test. It has gotten harder to not doubt myself as a senior, because it’s kind of like a ‘how much longer can I keep this up’ sort of thing, but I do pretty well at getting out of that mindset.

Is studying or practicing something that you look forward to doing, or does it feel more like an obligation?

I look forward to studying in the cases where I have a general understanding of the topic and I’m just doing some refining, but when it isn’t something that I understand and it’s required for me to do, then I sort of dread it. I like to study when I am choosing to study. I enjoy being with my teammates at practice and I look forward to that, but I do think that the actual practices themselves can feel more like a job.

Are you confident ahead of your AP exams and the rest of the track season?

I’m confident ahead of my AP exams because I have gotten good scores on the practice tests and I know what I will be in for. I am also confident for the rest of the track season, but I am also nervous as to how it will end up. There are certain results that I want out of the meets and I feel like there is a lot of pressure on me to help the team get there.

What do you plan on focusing on once your AP exams and the track season is over?

I will focus on working during the summer, but more importantly, I am looking to have fun. I want to be able to do things with my friends and family that I haven’t been able to do while I have been so focused on school and track. Obviously, I don’t want to slack off, but I do want to dial things back a bit and have more fun with myself.