While some students spent the summer relaxing and sleeping in on the weekdays, many clubs have been at school practicing diligently. Much of the success of the sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities here are attributed to the time and effort the students, coaches and sponsors put in behind the scenes.

Although it is commonly known that fall sports begin in August, many are unaware that over the summer, the yearbook program attends a camp in order to plan and prepare for the upcoming school year.

“We started planning this year’s yearbook in May of 2017,” senior Kate Wozniak, yearbook editor-in-chief, said. “Every year, the yearbook program goes to a camp. There are different seminars and lectures they have, [and] you can take different classes that revolve around design or writing.”

Not only do clubs meet and plan over the summer, many clubs meet every day after school throughout the school year for many hours, requiring a significant amount of time and dedication from its members. With the demanding schedules of their clubs, students learn different ways to make the most of their time.

“I manage my time by getting as much done during the school day as I can and staying up a little bit later than usual during the [marching band] season,” marching band member and junior Beka Luebbe said. “I [make] sure I’m really productive and [have] a good schedule, making sure everything is done and I’m not slacking.”

Due to the stress of participating in multiple clubs, students establish routines that allow them to have memorable experiences while juggling their activities and commitments.

“I’m going to take at least one day out of every week and do something fun because it’s senior year,” Wozniak said. “I’ll go to a football game with friends. I’ll just do something to decompress and do anything that makes me happy.”

Although the extensive time clubs take up may seem stressful, extracurricular activities bring benefits to students along with providing them with opportunities to explore their passions.

“You create a lot of bonds and relationships,” sophomore and junior varsity volleyball player Cassidy Kortum said. “It helps you become more of a team when you’re around those people every day instead of just two days a week.”

Along with the many social benefits to being around one’s friends, there are also life lessons to learn through participation in multiple clubs.

“Because I have to spend a lot of time at the school, and I have a lot of responsibilities, it means that when I’m faced with a challenge in my life, it doesn’t faze me as much,” Wozniak said. “You learn about how to run a business [and], how to run an organization. You feel like you’ve seen everything, so nothing really gets to you.”

Through all the ups and downs of high school, clubs and sports are all part of the experience. Even with the time commitment, the friendships, bonds and the experiences gained are worth it in the end.

“Even if [your teammates] are not a part of your main friend group, you can ask them for advice,” Kortum said. “It’s just really nice to have those friends you can turn to.”