Study Buddies: Girls Basketball Study Hall Sessions

Michelle Perea
BMHS PrideTime Reporter

The Brien McMahon Girls Basketball team, like other sports at McMahon such as Field Hockey, have been having their own form of “study hall” after school before their 4 o’clock practice.

The first week of December, 2017, Coach Derek Sellers decided to have his own “study hall”. His goal is to have each player have time to work on their homework in order to raise their grades as well as their GPA.

Most of the girls have positive feelings towards the idea. “I don’t have any negative feelings towards study hall. It keeps people out of trouble and gives them a place to go after school,” says Michelle Menard (‘19). Players themselves believe that this is beneficial for the team on and off the court.

Coach Sellers believes that sports and school work are two big responsibilities, especially when it comes to girls reaching the minimum GPA required. Study hall allows some time for the players to get on top of their school work and still make time to improve each day in practice.

“Study hall allows us to all have time for our work, there’s hasn’t been a problem lately with girls having to leave the team because they didn’t meet the minimum GPA requirements, and I think study hall has a big impact on that,” says Meagan Bombace (‘19).

However, not every player is the same. Some use that time effectively to work on their assignments while others talk amongst each other not focusing on their school work. Each player has different thoughts about study hall. Some believe that they shouldn’t be in there due to them not having a problem with their school work, and others believe that it is beneficial because it allows bonding and working together outside of basketball.

Although many believe that sports can have a negative effect on academic performance, that actually isn’t the case. According to crystalandcomp.com, those who play sports will see an  improvement on their focus and cognition. The article called “How Does Playing a Sport Affect Your Grades,” explained that for the most part student athletes have the resources to perform better than their classmates. “One research study found that the more time a student spent playing a sport, the better they understood the classroom and homework material.”

They are capable of high performance but people are busy after school and don’t have the time to complete assignments before the due date which leads to a drop in grades.

This study hall has been said to help out the girls who really need the time to complete homework. With the study hall before practice, the girls have time to communicate with teachers that are still at school and seek extra help.

Not only that but the girls can help each other out with certain subjects that they’re having trouble with. The study hall can improve communication and bonding within the team.

“I think that our team preaches so much about being a family and helping each other out, that some players should be there to help the girls that are struggling,” says Michelle Menard.