A constant struggle for student athletes is how to balance classes while also working, participating in extracurriculars, and socializing. FCHS junior Kaiya Wrigley is one student who appears to have learned how to have mastered the art.

Wrigley recently made the U17 nationals team for the Richmond Volleyball Club after only two years of playing, while also traveling to Ireland and multiple U.S. states for rugby, winning state competitions in California, and performing on the outdoor track team at Fluvanna. These accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without her dedication and motivation joined with her pure love for sports.

“Never take things for granted and always be grateful for every opportunity you get,” Wrigley says regarding how to juggle sports and school. “When loving your sport starts to get hard, remember how far you’ve come and no one’s perfect. Sports are based on one’s failures to use as motivation to strive for better,” she added.

Having friendships can make or break sports for some, so building good communication and relationships with teammates can be crucial to success. Wrigley said she believes that to do well as a team, you have to “out-team” the opponent, meaning supporting each other no matter what, on and off the court.

“My team is my number one priority. I truly believe in ‘put your team before yourself’ and ‘play for the person beside you’,” she said. “When you don’t think about yourself, you can’t dwell on your mistakes. Being mentally tough is also super important when being a good teammate because as an athlete. You will have to take criticism and advice while in tough situations and not take anything personally, but mental toughness is also about not getting down while things aren’t going your way,” Wrigley said.

While tiredness and occasional lack of motivation might be an issue for some athletes, Wrigley says that “not feeling like it” is not an issue for her when it comes to sports.

“Personally, sports are an escape from all [my] problems. I can never not do a sport no matter how tired or burnt out I am. I say things about how tired or how done I am, but I know deep down that I will practice tired or burnt out because I strive to become better and accomplish my goals,” she said.

Still, Wrigley says, sleep her her number one priority. “Without good sleep, I cannot accomplish what I want to do or I’ll be distracted,” she said.